Fatal crashes in Orange County, California
In 2024, 199 people died in 194 fatal crashes in Orange County, 13.9% fewer than in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 1,982 fatal crashes and 2,088 deaths, the 5th most of any county in California.
6.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 9.8 across California in 2024; 6.6 against 10.1 a year over 2015 to 2024. Population 3,170,435, Census Bureau estimate. All fatal crashes in California.
Deaths in Orange County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 194 | 199 |
| 2023 | 217 | 231 |
| 2022 | 238 | 250 |
| 2021 | 221 | 230 |
| 2020 | 186 | 193 |
| 2019 | 166 | 182 |
| 2018 | 195 | 206 |
| 2017 | 194 | 210 |
| 2016 | 195 | 204 |
| 2015 | 176 | 183 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in Orange County
I-5 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Orange County from 2015 to 2024: 126, with 136 deaths. The 14 roads listed held 29% of all fatal crashes in Orange County from 2015 to 2024; 3 are interstates, 11 state highways. Interstate, US and state routes with 5 or more fatal crashes in the county; county roads and city streets are in the county's total but not listed.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-5 | 126 | 136 | 48 | |
| 2 | I-405 | 71 | 76 | 20 | |
| 3 | State Highway 91 | 71 | 73 | 25 | |
| 4 | State Highway 39 | 64 | 70 | 18 | |
| 5 | State Highway 1 | 62 | 68 | 22 | |
| 6 | State Highway 55 | 43 | 44 | 12 | no page |
| 7 | State Highway 57 | 36 | 39 | 11 | |
| 8 | State Highway 22 | 33 | 36 | 12 | |
| 9 | State Highway 74 | 22 | 22 | 8 | |
| 10 | State Highway 241 | 18 | 19 | 4 | no page |
| 11 | State Highway 73 | 12 | 12 | 3 | no page |
| 12 | I-605 | 8 | 8 | 6 | |
| 13 | State Highway 90 | 8 | 8 | 5 | no page |
| 14 | State Highway 133 | 6 | 6 | 1 | no page |
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Anaheim 228, Santa Ana 210, Huntington Beach 120, Garden Grove 105, Fullerton 94, Orange 93, Costa Mesa 79, Westminster 73. The city is not filed for crashes outside a city.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Orange County
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am, with 95 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 7 pm to 8 pm; the worst month is November.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 4.8 percent, 95 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 44 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 37 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 70 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 68 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.8 percent, 35 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 42 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 33 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 34 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 54 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 58 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.3 percent, 26 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 49 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 31 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 73 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 64 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.3 percent, 26 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 59 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 52 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.3 percent, 45 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 40 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 51 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 68 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.3 percent, 45 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 33 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 37 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 63 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 85 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.3 percent, 84 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 34 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 43 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 59 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 84 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan9.3%
- Feb8.0%
- Mar7.6%
- Apr6.7%
- May7.2%
- Jun7.9%
- Jul8.9%
- Aug9.6%
- Sep7.4%
- Oct8.9%
- Nov10.4%
- Dec8.1%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Orange County first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 34%; a pedestrian in 31%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 21%, a cyclist in 6.0%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 664 | 34% |
| Pedestrian | 623 | 31% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 408 | 21% |
| Cyclist | 118 | 6.0% |
| Other | 86 | 4.3% |
| Rollover | 51 | 2.6% |
| Parked vehicle | 32 | 1.6% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes in Orange County compare with California
A drinking driver was recorded in 27% of fatal crashes in Orange County from 2015 to 2024, about the California share; speeding in 31%, about the California share; a hit-and-run in 10%, about the California share; a driver recorded as distracted in 4.8%, about the California share; 31% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, below the California share of 38%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of California. A share is only given over 20 crashes.
| Orange | California | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 2.8% | 30% | below the California share |
| At or near an intersection | 35% | 27% | above the California share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 8.8% | 25% | below the California share |
| A drinking driver | 27% | 28% | about the same as the California share |
| Speeding | 31% | 30% | about the same as the California share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 4.8% | 4.1% | about the same as the California share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 31% | 38% | below the California share |
| Hit-and-run | 10% | 11% | about the same as the California share |
| A motorcycle involved | 18% | 15% | above the California share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 33% | 26% | above the California share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes in Orange County
- How many people died in car accidents in Orange County in 2024?
- 199 people died in 194 fatal crashes in Orange County, California, in 2024, 13.9% fewer than in 2023. That is 6.3 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 9.8 across California.
- What is the deadliest road in Orange County?
- I-5 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Orange County from 2015 to 2024: 126, with 136 deaths.
- When do fatal crashes in Orange County happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am, with 95 fatal crashes.
- How many fatal crashes in Orange County involved a drinking driver?
- 540 of 1,982 fatal crashes in Orange County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 27%, against 28% across California.
Other counties in California with a page
- Los Angeles County
- San Bernardino County
- Riverside County
- San Diego County
- Sacramento County
- Kern County
- Fresno County
- Santa Clara County
- San Joaquin County
- Alameda County
- Contra Costa County
- Stanislaus County
All fatal crashes in California, with every county ranked.
Where the Orange County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Orange County (county code 59). A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The rate per 100,000 uses the Census Bureau's population estimate for the county; it is the only figure here not counted from FARS. The full method.