Mississippi experienced the largest increase in senior-driver fatality rates in the United States between 2020 and 2024, with deaths rising from 13.98 to 20.39 per 100K licensed drivers aged 65 and older, according to a new study by CR Legal Team.
The increase of 6.41 deaths per 100K licensed senior drivers placed Mississippi first nationally for growth in its fatality rate. The state also recorded the country’s highest senior-driver fatality rate in 2024, more than twice the national average of 9.04.
South Dakota and Minnesota followed with the second- and third-largest increases, highlighting substantial differences in how senior-driver fatalities have developed across the country.
The findings come as the United States experiences an expanding population of older motorists. Between 2020 and 2024, the number of licensed drivers aged 65 and older increased by 14.1%, while the number of senior drivers killed in traffic crashes rose by 15.9%.
Researchers at CR Legal Team examined federal traffic fatality records and licensed-driver population data to identify states experiencing the greatest increases in deaths relative to their older driving populations.
Mississippi, South Dakota and Minnesota Record the Largest Rate Increases
Three states emerged as the national leaders in senior-driver fatality rate growth, although their starting fatality rates and total deaths differed considerably.
States With the Fastest-Rising Senior-Driver Fatality Rates
| State | 2020 Rate | 2024 Rate | Rate-Point Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 13.98 | 20.39 | +6.41 |
| South Dakota | 12.89 | 18.98 | +6.09 |
| Minnesota | 6.19 | 10.92 | +4.73 |
Rates represent driver deaths per 100K licensed drivers aged 65 and older.
Mississippi’s increase was the largest recorded over the four-year period. Its 2024 fatality rate of 20.39 was approximately 2.3 times the national average and nearly four times California’s rate.
South Dakota experienced a similarly substantial increase, rising from 12.89 to 18.98 deaths per 100K licensed senior drivers. Although its 2024 rate remained below Mississippi’s, South Dakota’s increase of 6.09 points placed it second nationally for fatality rate growth.
Minnesota presented a different pattern. Its 2020 rate of 6.19 was considerably lower than those of Mississippi and South Dakota. By 2024, however, that figure had climbed to 10.92.
The change coincided with a particularly striking increase in the state’s fatality count:
- 48 senior drivers died in Minnesota traffic crashes in 2020.
- By 2024, that number had reached 97 fatalities.
- The increase represented 49 additional deaths, or approximately 102%.
- Minnesota’s fatality rate increased by 4.73 deaths per 100K licensed senior drivers.
Minnesota’s experience demonstrates how a state with a comparatively low initial fatality rate can undergo substantial deterioration within several years.
Senior-Driver Fatalities Increase Faster Than the Licensed Population
National figures reveal that the growth in senior-driver deaths slightly outpaced the expansion of the older driving population between 2020 and 2024.
U.S. Senior-Driver Fatality Trends, 2020–2024
| National Measure | 2020 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed drivers aged 65+ | 47.67 million | 54.39 million | +14.1% |
| Senior-driver fatalities | 4,241 | 4,917 | +15.9% |
| Fatality rate per 100K licensed drivers | Approximately 8.90 | 9.04 | Approximately +0.14 |
The number of licensed older drivers increased by approximately 6.72 million during the study period. Meanwhile, annual senior-driver fatalities increased by 676.
These figures indicate that most of the growth in the national death count occurred alongside an expanding senior-driver population, although the fatality rate also increased modestly.
The national trend was substantially smaller than the changes recorded in Mississippi, South Dakota and Minnesota.
For example, Mississippi’s fatality rate increased by 6.41 points, compared with a national increase of approximately 0.14 points.
That disparity highlights why nationwide averages may conceal worsening conditions in individual states.
Highest Fatality Counts Do Not Necessarily Indicate Highest Risk
The study also identified major differences between states recording the most senior-driver deaths and those experiencing the highest fatality rates.
Texas, Florida and California recorded the largest numbers of senior-driver fatalities in 2024. However, their population-adjusted figures placed them well below Mississippi.
States With the Highest Senior-Driver Death Totals
| State | Senior-Driver Deaths, 2024 | National Position by Death Count | Additional Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 407 | 1st | Ranked 22nd by senior-driver fatality rate |
| Florida | 359 | 2nd | Ranked 30th by senior-driver fatality rate |
| California | 272 | 3rd | Fatality rate of 5.16 per 100K senior drivers |
Texas recorded more senior-driver deaths than any other state, but its population-adjusted fatality rate placed it outside the country’s 20 highest-rate states.
Florida recorded the second-highest number of deaths despite having a fatality rate below the national average.
California’s 272 deaths represented the third-largest total nationally, yet its fatality rate of 5.16 was approximately 43% below the national average.
Mississippi, by comparison, recorded a fatality rate approximately 3.95 times California’s.
The contrast illustrates the importance of accounting for the number of licensed senior drivers in each state. Larger states can experience substantial numbers of traffic deaths without recording the highest rates relative to their driving populations.
Fatal-Crash Involvement Adds Another Dimension to State Differences
Beyond examining deaths among senior drivers, CR Legal Team also analyzed the involvement of older motorists in fatal crashes.
Across the United States, 8,484 drivers aged 65 and older were involved in fatal crashes in 2024. They accounted for approximately 15.3% of the 55,620 drivers involved in fatal crashes nationally.
The share varied significantly between states.
States With High Shares of Older Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes
| State | Share of All Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes Who Were 65+ |
|---|---|
| North Dakota | 23.8% |
| South Dakota | 22.9% |
| Nebraska | 22.0% |
| Massachusetts | 20.1% |
North Dakota recorded the highest share among the states highlighted in the study, with nearly one in four drivers involved in fatal crashes aged 65 or older.
South Dakota ranked close behind at 22.9%, adding another dimension to its elevated senior-driver fatality rate.
However, fatal-crash involvement and senior-driver fatality rates measure different outcomes.
Massachusetts illustrates this distinction. Although older drivers represented 20.1% of the state’s drivers involved in fatal crashes, its senior-driver fatality rate was only 4.94 per 100K licensed drivers aged 65 and older.
Mississippi recorded a fatal-crash involvement rate of 32.36 older drivers per 100K licensed senior drivers, compared with 26.39 in Missouri and 25.58 in Kentucky.
These findings show how a state’s share of fatal-crash drivers, rate of involvement and rate of driver deaths can produce different assessments of the same traffic safety problem.
States With Lower Senior-Driver Fatality Rates Present a Sharp Contrast
Not every state experienced the elevated fatality rates observed in Mississippi and South Dakota.
Several states recorded considerably lower levels of senior-driver mortality in 2024.
- Rhode Island: 2.11 senior-driver deaths per 100K licensed older drivers, the country’s lowest rate.
- Hawaii: 3.28 deaths per 100K, the second-lowest rate.
- Vermont: 4.26 deaths per 100K, the third-lowest rate.
- Massachusetts: 4.94 deaths per 100K, despite older motorists representing a substantial share of drivers involved in fatal crashes.
- California: 5.16 deaths per 100K, despite recording the nation’s third-highest senior-driver death total.
Mississippi’s rate was approximately 9.7 times Rhode Island’s.
The substantial differences between states suggest that geographic conditions, driving environments and individual exposure deserve consideration alongside the age of the driving population.
The figures do not establish which specific conditions caused the differences. Road design, vehicle characteristics, travel patterns and driver vulnerability may all influence fatal crash outcomes.
What the Findings Reveal About Senior-Driver Safety
The study’s findings point to several important developments in traffic safety:
- The national senior-driver population is growing, with more than 54 million licensed motorists aged 65 and older in 2024.
- Senior-driver fatalities increased slightly faster than the licensed population between 2020 and 2024.
- Mississippi and South Dakota recorded substantially higher 2024 death rates than the national average.
- Minnesota experienced a doubling of its senior-driver fatality count during the study period.
- The states with the largest numbers of senior-driver deaths were not necessarily those with the highest population-adjusted fatality rates.
- States with similar shares of older motorists involved in fatal crashes can report very different death rates.
The widening differences between states present a challenge for transportation safety officials attempting to identify where older drivers face the greatest threats.
A Growing Driver Population Requires More Targeted Safety Measures
As the number of older licensed drivers increases, the findings suggest that reducing senior-driver fatalities will require more than monitoring annual death totals.
A comparison of population-adjusted rates identifies states where fatal outcomes occur more frequently among licensed older motorists, while examining fatal-crash involvement helps distinguish driver exposure from the risk of dying in a crash.
Mississippi’s position at the top of both the 2024 fatality-rate comparison and the 2020–2024 increase ranking makes it a particularly important state for further safety analysis.
South Dakota and Minnesota also stand out because of the scale of their recent increases.
For transportation agencies, the findings underscore the importance of examining dangerous intersections, roadway visibility, vehicle safety systems and the circumstances surrounding fatal crashes.
The national data also indicates that senior-driver safety cannot be assessed through age or population size alone.
With millions more older Americans maintaining their driving privileges, the central challenge is identifying where fatal crash outcomes are worsening and which interventions could help reduce preventable deaths.