Nevada and Louisiana recorded some of the sharpest increases in fatal hit-and-run deaths between 2020 and 2024, even as nationwide fatalities declined from their 2022 peak, according to a new analysis of federal traffic safety data.
The study, conducted by Attorney Brian White, examined fatal hit-and-run crashes across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., identifying substantial differences in death rates, geographic concentrations, and changes over time.
Between 2020 and 2024, 14,154 people were killed in 13,762 fatal hit-and-run crashes nationwide. California, Texas, and Florida collectively accounted for more than one-third of those fatalities, while New Mexico recorded the highest population-adjusted death rate among states.
Although the nationwide death toll fell to 2,758 in 2024, that figure remained 6.2% above the 2,596 deaths reported in 2020.
The findings reveal a complicated national picture: fatalities are declining overall, but several states continue to experience substantial increases, and pedestrians and cyclists remain disproportionately represented among victims.
National Hit-and-Run Fatalities Remain Above 2020 Levels
Fatal hit-and-run deaths reached their highest level during the five-year study period in 2022, when 2,972 people were killed. Fatalities subsequently declined in both 2023 and 2024.
The number of fatal crashes followed a similar trajectory.
| Year | Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,520 | 2,596 |
| 2022 | 2,895 | 2,972 |
| 2023 | 2,824 | 2,911 |
| 2024 | 2,693 | 2,758 |
The 2024 fatality total represented a 7.2% decrease from the 2022 peak and a 5.3% decline from 2023. However, the number of fatal crashes remained 6.9% higher than in 2020.
Fatal hit-and-run incidents also continued to represent a substantial share of traffic deaths.
In 2024, hit-and-run crashes accounted for 7.0% of all traffic fatalities, compared with 6.7% in 2020. The increase indicates that the share of traffic deaths involving hit-and-runs remained elevated despite improvements in the annual death toll.
Washington, D.C., and New Mexico Lead the National Risk Rankings
Attorney Brian White’s study developed a composite index measuring the fatal hit-and-run burden across 51 jurisdictions.
Washington, D.C., ranked first overall with a score of 97.9 out of 100, followed by New Mexico at 96.4.
The top 10 jurisdictions were:
| Rank | State or Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, D.C. |
| 2 | New Mexico |
| 3 | Louisiana |
| 4 | Nevada |
| 5 | California |
| 6 | Arizona |
| 7 | Tennessee |
| 8 | Delaware |
| 9 | Florida |
| 10 | Texas |
The index incorporates five measurements: fatal crash rates, death rates, pedestrian and cyclist death rates, the proportion of traffic deaths involving hit-and-runs, and changes in population-adjusted fatality rates.
The rankings demonstrate why the states recording the most deaths do not necessarily face the highest per-capita burden.
New Mexico recorded an average annual fatal hit-and-run death rate of 1.868 deaths per 100K residents over the five-year period, the highest among states.
Maine, by comparison, recorded 0.058 deaths per 100K residents annually. New Mexico’s rate was more than 32 times higher.
Washington, D.C., stood out for another reason: hit-and-run deaths represented 26.0% of all traffic fatalities recorded in the district between 2020 and 2024.
At the opposite end of the composite rankings, Iowa scored 3.0 and Maine scored 3.6. Iowa recorded 22 deaths during the study period, compared with four in Maine.
Nevada and Louisiana Record Particularly Sharp Increases
Several states experienced worsening hit-and-run fatality trends despite the national decline after 2022.
Nevada recorded 47 deaths in 2024, compared with 24 in 2020. That represented a 95.8% increase in fatalities, while its population-adjusted death rate climbed 86.8%.
Louisiana experienced a similarly concerning trend, with fatalities rising from 44 to 77 over the same period.
Other states, including Alabama, New York, Colorado, and Washington, also recorded substantial increases in fatality rates.
| State | 2020 Deaths | 2024 Deaths | Change in Death Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 24 | 47 | +86.8% |
| Louisiana | 44 | 77 | +77.1% |
| Alabama | 31 | 48 | +51.1% |
| New York | 74 | 104 | +42.2% |
| Colorado | 32 | 46 | +39.6% |
| Washington | 42 | 59 | +36.4% |
| Michigan | 97 | 54 | -44.7% |
Death-rate changes are population-adjusted and may differ from changes in raw fatality totals.
Among the notable findings:
- Nevada: Annual fatalities nearly doubled, placing the state fourth in the national composite rankings.
- Louisiana: Deaths increased 75.0%, while its population-adjusted rate rose 77.1%.
- Alabama: Fatalities increased 54.8%, rising from 31 to 48 deaths.
- New York: The annual death toll climbed 40.5%, from 74 to 104.
- Michigan: Deaths fell 44.3%, while the population-adjusted rate declined 44.7%.
Michigan’s improvement illustrates how differently the problem has developed across the country.
The state’s reduction from 97 to 54 fatalities contrasts sharply with Nevada’s near doubling of deaths.
These divergent trends also demonstrate why national averages can obscure emerging concerns in individual states.
California, Texas, and Florida Account for 38.2% of Deaths
When measured by the total number of people killed rather than population-adjusted rates, three states dominated the national figures.
California recorded 2,395 hit-and-run deaths between 2020 and 2024, followed by Texas with 1,695 and Florida with 1,313.
Together, these states accounted for 5,403 deaths, representing 38.2% of the national total.
| State | Deaths, 2020–2024 | Deaths in 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| California | 2,395 | 462 |
| Texas | 1,695 | 317 |
| Florida | 1,313 | 233 |
California’s 2024 total was 45.7% higher than Texas’s, underscoring the substantial concentration of deaths in the country’s most populous states.
However, the broader rankings present a different perspective.
California placed fifth in the composite index despite having the most fatalities, while Texas ranked tenth.
These differences reflect the index’s emphasis on population-adjusted measurements and the proportion of traffic deaths attributable to hit-and-run crashes.
Pedestrians and Cyclists Face the Greatest Fatality Burden
The study also identified a significant imbalance in the types of road users killed in hit-and-run crashes.
Of the 2,758 people killed nationwide in 2024, 1,749 were pedestrians and another 230 were cyclists.
Together, these groups represented 71.8% of all hit-and-run fatalities.
Pedestrians alone accounted for 63.4% of deaths, while cyclists represented 8.3%.
Vehicle occupants accounted for 485 fatalities, substantially fewer than the combined pedestrian and cyclist death toll.
New Mexico recorded the highest five-year annualized pedestrian and cyclist hit-and-run death rate at 1.453 per 100K residents.
Louisiana followed at 1.171, while Washington, D.C., recorded 1.086.
The pedestrian and cyclist rankings closely mirrored the overall index, with nine of the ten highest-burden jurisdictions appearing in both rankings.
This overlap indicates that fatalities involving people walking and cycling contributed heavily to the geographic distribution of the overall death burden.
Houston Highlights the Difference Between Statewide and Local Trends
Texas experienced a 4.5% decline in fatal hit-and-run deaths between 2020 and 2024, accompanied by a 10.8% reduction in its population-adjusted death rate.
However, the Houston area experienced a different trajectory.
The Houston metropolitan area recorded 539 fatal hit-and-run deaths during the five-year period.
In 2024, its death rate reached 1.334 per 100K residents, compared with 1.013 statewide and 0.811 nationally.
That placed Houston’s metropolitan death rate 31.7% above Texas’s and 64.5% above the national figure.
Harris County recorded an even higher 2024 rate of 1.877 deaths per 100K residents.
Within Houston city limits, fatalities increased from 58 in 2023 to 63 in 2024, an 8.6% increase.
Compared with 2020, deaths within city limits increased 61.5%, moving in the opposite direction from Texas’s statewide trend.
Geographic Differences Reinforce the Need for Targeted Road Safety Measures
The national findings identify several challenges beyond the overall number of deaths.
Urban roads accounted for 84.5% of fatal hit-and-run deaths in 2024, while 78.9% occurred under dark conditions.
These figures suggest that efforts to reduce fatalities should account for the settings in which deaths are concentrated, particularly urban streets and locations used by pedestrians and cyclists.
The study’s findings point to several priorities:
- Improving visibility at pedestrian crossings and intersections.
- Addressing dangerous vehicle speeds in heavily traveled urban areas.
- Evaluating states where fatality rates continue to increase.
- Monitoring local hotspots that may be hidden within statewide improvements.
- Expanding attention to pedestrian and cyclist safety, given their substantial share of deaths.
The Attorney Brian White analysis used federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System records and Census population estimates for 2020 through 2024. Its composite rankings describe the relative burden of fatal hit-and-run crashes, rather than the probability of an individual motorist being involved in one.
While national fatalities have declined since 2022, the increases in states such as Nevada and Louisiana, combined with elevated death rates in New Mexico and the Houston area, demonstrate that the country’s hit-and-run problem remains unevenly distributed.
The latest figures show that reducing the national total is only part of the challenge. Identifying where deaths are increasing, which road users face the greatest burden, and where local trends are diverging from statewide patterns will be equally important.