How many fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark were there in the United States in 2024?

9,623, 27% of 36,297 fatal crashes.

Fatal crashes in the dark by state

South Carolina has the highest share: 38% of its fatal crashes in 2024. Across the United States, 9,623 fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark made up 27%.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia, ranked by the share. Click a state for its roads, counties and the rest of its figures.

Dark, unlit: every state, 2024

Shares range from 4.3% in District of Columbia to 38% in South Carolina; the median state is at 25%.

	State	Fatal crashes	Share, 2024	Share, 2015 to 2024	All road deaths
1	South Carolina	362	38%	37%	1,038
2	Louisiana	259	37%	35%	752
3	New Mexico	137	36%	33%	409
4	Georgia	468	36%	37%	1,403
5	Oklahoma	210	35%	34%	645
6	Alabama	307	34%	33%	962
7	North Carolina	511	34%	34%	1,619
8	Montana	64	33%	35%	206
9	Mississippi	223	33%	35%	753
10	Virginia	276	32%	31%	917
11	Delaware	38	31%	38%	126
12	Texas	1,180	31%	31%	4,160
13	Arkansas	170	31%	34%	603
14	West Virginia	72	30%	32%	256
15	Kentucky	196	30%	29%	707
16	Missouri	252	29%	28%	955
17	Utah	71	28%	24%	277
18	Indiana	221	28%	30%	832
19	Wyoming	28	28%	33%	107
20	Maryland	147	27%	23%	578
21	Iowa	86	27%	28%	356
22	Vermont	14	26%	27%	59
23	South Dakota	35	26%	31%	146
24	California	919	26%	25%	3,876
25	Michigan	256	25%	26%	1,098
26	Kansas	77	25%	26%	339
27	Wisconsin	129	24%	26%	595
28	Idaho	53	24%	27%	238
29	Alaska	15	24%	23%	70
30	Tennessee	258	24%	26%	1,197
31	Florida	689	24%	24%	3,138
32	Ohio	250	23%	25%	1,157
33	Pennsylvania	244	23%	25%	1,127
34	Maine	36	22%	29%	177
35	Nebraska	48	22%	24%	251
36	Washington	144	21%	23%	730
37	Hawaii	20	21%	19%	102
38	Oregon	100	20%	27%	538
39	North Dakota	17	20%	27%	90
40	Illinois	215	20%	25%	1,177
41	Minnesota	85	20%	21%	477
42	Colorado	125	20%	21%	689
43	Massachusetts	67	19%	18%	363
44	New Jersey	104	16%	17%	670
45	Arizona	174	16%	17%	1,229
46	New York	159	15%	17%	1,101
47	New Hampshire	18	15%	25%	133
48	Nevada	50	13%	15%	417
49	Connecticut	37	13%	17%	310
50	Rhode Island	5	10%	16%	52
51	District of Columbia	2	4.3%	3.2%	47

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count

Download the fatal crashes in the dark by state table as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes-in-the-dark-by-state/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”

Questions about fatal crashes in the dark by state

Which state has the highest share of fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark?: South Carolina has the highest share: 38% of its fatal crashes in 2024. Across the United States, 9,623 fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark made up 27%. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
How many fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark were there in the United States in 2024?: 9,623, 27% of 36,297 fatal crashes.

How NHTSA records fatal crashes on unlit roads in the dark

Fatal crashes NHTSA coded as happening in the dark on an unlit road (light condition "Dark, not lighted"). Dark but lit roads are not included. The share is of all fatal crashes in the state.

A share is only given over 20 crashes (or deaths); otherwise the row says "Not enough data" and has no rank. Shares are of the state's own fatal crashes or deaths. For deaths per resident and per mile driven, see the car accident rate by state. The full method.