By the Numbers: Accident avoidance
America’s roadways appear to be getting safer for both drivers and cars
Krieg Barrie
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10.56
The number of years in between traffic accidents for the average American driver according to a newly released study by insurance giant Allstate. The nation’s open roads are getting safer by most measures and futuristic self-driving vehicles hold out the possibility of even fewer traffic fatalities.
6.14 million
The number of police-reported traffic accidents in 2023 according to an April 2025 report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—down from a recent high of 6.8 million crashes in 2016.
62%
The decrease in the rate of traffic fatalities per mile driven from 1975 to 2023 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
57%
The reduction in number of traffic accidents per mile driven in Waymo automated cars compared with national trends for human-driven cars, according to a 2023 company report.
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