Extends decline to 16 quarters even as traffic volume increases.
An estimated 7,770 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the first quarter of 2026, a decline of about 4.3% from the 8,120 fatalities projected for the same period in 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statistical projection published in July.
The first quarter marks the 16th consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities, a streak that began in the second quarter of 2022 after seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fatality rate fell to 0.99 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles
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