U.S. Traffic Fatalities Fall for Fourth Straight Year, but Safety Concerns Remain
Key Takeaways
- U.S. traffic fatalities fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, according to TRIP.
- Fatalities were still 3% higher in 2025 than in 2015, while pedestrian and bicyclist deaths have continued to rise.
- A Connecticut DOT worker was killed Friday after being struck by a vehicle while performing maintenance on I-95.
Traffic fatalities have fallen for the fourth straight year in 2025, according to a new report from nonprofit research firm TRIP.
Traffic fatalities increased significantly during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, as people transitioned to motor vehicles rather than public transportation options.
According to a news brief from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the report “Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis: Examining the Causes of Increasing U.S. Traffic Fatalities and Identifying Solutions to Improve Traffic Safety” shares traffic fatality statistics from 2015 to 2025 at both the national and state levels. The report also examines the causes of increasing traffic fatalities and discusses TRIP’s “broad, comprehensive approach” to reducing fatalities.
Despite the decrease in traffic fatalities since 2021, the statistics show a 3% increase since 2015, with 36,640 deaths recorded in 2025 compared to 35,484 in 2015.
The report also shows an 8% increase in bicycle and pedestrian fatalities from 2020 to 2025, including a 29% increase in bicyclists killed and a 5% increase in pedestrian fatalities. Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities accounted for 21% of all traffic fatalities in 2025.
Using a traffic crash cost methodology released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), TRIP estimated that fatal and serious traffic crashes caused 1.75 trillion in societal harm, including $435 billion in economic costs and $1.32 trillion in quality-of-life costs.
Though overall traffic fatalities have declined in recent years, construction and road workers continue to face dangers in active work zones.
On Friday, an employee with the Connecticut Department of Transportation was struck by a motor vehicle and killed while completing maintenance work on Interstate 95 in Fairfield.
Elvin Hernandez, 60, worked for CTDOT since 2010 out of the agency’s Stratford garage, according to an agency press release.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont implored drivers to slow down around active work zones to prevent more tragedies like this from occurring.
“It is with incredible sadness today that we are mourning the loss of Connecticut state employee Elvin Hernandez, who was struck and killed while working on the job in a heartbreaking tragedy that never should have happened,” Lamont said. “CTDOT workers face dangerous situations while performing their jobs because of drivers who aren’t paying attention to road conditions and speeding through work zones. I am imploring every single driver to show CTDOT and all other road maintenance workers and first responders respect and slow down whenever you see them working on our roads. My prayers are with Elvin’s family, friends, and CTDOT colleagues. Connecticut state government is grieving one of our employees who dedicated themselves to serving the public.”
Lamont will order flags to be lowered to half-staff on the date of Hernandez’s funeral services, which had not been determined as of Friday.
About the Author
Jessica Parks, Staff WriterJessica Parks, Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Jessica Parks is a staff writer at Roads & Bridges with newsroom experience in Brooklyn, Long Island and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several years spent living in Puerto Rico. She is currently based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.