Fatal Crash Data by Brand
NHTSA FARS Analysis · 152,911 Crashes · 2020–2023

We analyzed every fatal vehicle crash in the United States from 2020–2023 using NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Here's what the data reveals.

152,911
Fatal crashes analyzed
235,627
Vehicles involved
30+
Brands compared
4 years
2020–2023 FARS data
🍺 Which Car Brands Have the Most Drunk Drivers in Fatal Crashes?
Percentage of fatal crash vehicles where the driver had been drinking · FARS 2020–2023 · Min 500 vehicles
Excludes motorcycles and commercial trucks. "Drinking" = DR_DRINK flag in FARS. National average for all passenger vehicles: ~19%.
🍺📊 Drunk Driving Fatal Crashes Per 100K Registered Vehicles
Alcohol-related fatal crash vehicles normalized by estimated U.S. vehicles in operation · FARS 2020–2023
VIO (Vehicles in Operation) estimates from Experian/Hedges & Company public reports and manufacturer delivery data. This rate = (alcohol-involved vehicles in fatal crashes, 2020–2023) ÷ (est. registered vehicles in millions) × 100,000. Brands with unavailable VIO data are excluded.
🕐 When Do Tesla Fatal Crashes Happen?
Tesla vehicles in fatal crashes by hour of day · Stacked by alcohol involvement · FARS 2020–2023
426 Tesla vehicles total. Midnight (0:00) is the single deadliest hour. Alcohol is a factor in 50% of midnight-hour Tesla fatal crashes.
☀️🌙 Which Car Brands Crash More at Night?
Daylight vs. dark fatal crash ratio by brand · 100% stacked · FARS 2020–2023
Each bar shows the split between daylight and dark conditions (dawn/dusk excluded for clarity). Luxury and performance brands skew heavily toward nighttime crashes. Trucks and work vehicles skew daytime.
🔓 In Fatal Crashes, Which Brand's Drivers Weren't Wearing a Seatbelt?
Percentage of drivers in fatal crashes who were not wearing a seatbelt · FARS 2020–2023
Seatbelt non-use dramatically increases the odds a crash is fatal. These rates reveal which brands' drivers were most at risk. Tesla's 7% rate likely reflects both its demographic and aggressive seatbelt warning system. Honda's 39% rate reflects its large used-car market with younger drivers who statistically belt up less.
🆕 Which Brand's Drivers Don't Wear Seatbelts? (2020+ Models)
Percentage of drivers in fatal crashes unbelted. Filtered to vehicles model year 2020 or newer.
When we remove older vehicles, Honda drops from 38.5% down to 16.6% (average), proving the "used car demographic" effect. Dodge becomes the highest risk group for newer models. Tesla and Lexus remain exceptionally safe.
🔥 Fire/Explosion Rate in Fatal Crashes by Brand
Percentage of fatal crash vehicles that caught fire · FARS 2020–2023 · Min 500 vehicles
EV brands show elevated fire rates in fatal crashes, likely due to lithium-ion battery intensity. Commercial trucks (not shown) also have high fire rates due to diesel fuel volume.
📈 Tesla: Share of Fatal Crashes vs. Share of Cars on the Road
Tesla's growing presence in FARS data compared to estimated U.S. registration share
Registration estimates from Experian VIO data and Tesla delivery reports. When the registration share (green) exceeds the fatal crash share (blue), it means Tesla is underrepresented in fatal crashes — i.e., Tesla vehicles are involved in fewer fatal crashes per vehicle than average.

📋 Methodology & Data Sources

  • Data: NHTSA FARS National CSV files, 2020–2023 final releases
  • Vehicle identification: VPICMAKENAME field (NHTSA vPIC classification)
  • Alcohol: DR_DRINK field (yes/no for vehicle driver)
  • Fire: FIRE_EXP field (excluding "No" and "Not Reported")
  • Excluded: Motorcycles (Harley, Yamaha, etc.) and commercial trucks from brand comparison unless noted
  • Limitations: FARS only records fatal crashes. Rates cannot be compared to per-mile or per-registration without external data.

Full analysis script and raw data available on request. See our Tesla Safety Paradox page for Tesla-specific analysis, or Danger to Others for vehicle weight impacts.