KEY TAKEAWAYS
- California recorded a 31.9% surge in distracted driving fatalities, ranking #11 of all 50 states, rising from 141 fatal crashes in 2023 to 186 in 2024.
- While the U.S. overall posted a 2.3% decline in distracted driving deaths, California moved in the opposite direction by 34.2 percentage points, significantly diverging from the national trend.
- Oregon cut fatalities by 31.4% and Arizona by 16.4%, exposing California's worsening as a state-specific trend rather than a regional pattern.
Along California's vast network of highways and urban corridors, a troubling pattern has emerged. In 2024, the state recorded a 31.9% rise in distracted driving fatalities, climbing from 141 fatal crashes to 186, and placing it 11th among the 50 states for the steepest year-over-year increase. As road safety improved across much of the country, California moved decidedly in the other direction, diverging from the national trend by more than 34 percentage points.
This study, conducted by Anidjar & Levine, a personal injury law firm based in Fort Lauderdale, analyzed official state-level distracted driving fatal crash data from the NHTSA's database, covering all 50 states for 2020 through 2024. The analysis compares full-year 2023 and 2024 figures across all 50 U.S. states to identify year-over-year trends.
California State Profile: Distracted Driving Fatalities (2023–2024)
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | % Change |
| State | California | ||
| Distracted Driving Fatal Crashes | 141 | 186 | +31.9% |
| National Rank (% Increase) | — | #11 of 50 | 11th Highest in U.S. |
| National Total (All 50 States) | 3,024 | 2,955 | -2.3% |
| CA vs. National Trend | — | — | +34.2 ppts above national avg. |
Top 15 States with the Steepest Rise in Distracted Driving Fatalities (2023–2024)
| Rank | State | 2023 Fatal Crashes | 2024 Fatal Crashes | % Change |
| 1 | North Dakota | 2 | 9 | +350.0% |
| 2 | South Dakota | 4 | 11 | +175.0% |
| 3 | Nevada | 4 | 8 | +100.0% |
| 4 | Iowa | 14 | 27 | +92.9% |
| 5 | Georgia | 36 | 67 | +86.1% |
| 6 | Alaska | 2 | 3 | +50.0% |
| 7 | Hawaii | 25 | 37 | +48.0% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 26 | 38 | +46.2% |
| 9 | Idaho | 36 | 48 | +33.3% |
| 10 | Virginia | 48 | 64 | +33.3% |
| 11 | California | 141 | 186 | +31.9% |
| 12 | Arkansas | 13 | 17 | +30.8% |
| 13 | New Jersey | 165 | 209 | +26.7% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 25 | 31 | +24.0% |
| 15 | North Carolina | 17 | 21 | +23.5% |
Insights
California lands at #11 nationally, just outside the top 10, with a 31.9% surge that places it among a select group of states moving in the wrong direction, as the rest of the country showed improvement.
California vs. Bordering and Neighboring States (2023–2024)
| State | 2023 Fatal Crashes | 2024 Fatal Crashes | % Change | Gap vs. California |
| California | 141 | 186 | +31.9% | — |
| Oregon | 51 | 35 | -31.4% | +63.3 ppts |
| Nevada | 4 | 8 | +100.0% | -68.1 ppts (worse) |
| Arizona | 73 | 61 | -16.4% | +48.3 ppts |
| Washington | 123 | 129 | +4.9% | +27.0 ppts |
Insights
While Oregon slashed its distracted driving fatalities by 31.4% and Arizona reduced its count by 16.4%, California surged 31.9%, a gap of more than 63 percentage points against Oregon alone.
California vs. the 10 Most Improved States (2023–2024)
| State | 2023 Fatal Crashes | 2024 Fatal Crashes | % Change | Gap vs. California |
| Wyoming | 12 | 6 | -50.0% | +81.9 ppts |
| Pennsylvania | 66 | 34 | -48.5% | +80.4 ppts |
| Maryland | 40 | 21 | -47.5% | +79.4 ppts |
| Illinois | 115 | 65 | -43.5% | +75.4 ppts |
| New Hampshire | 7 | 4 | -42.9% | +74.8 ppts |
| Montana | 17 | 10 | -41.2% | +73.1 ppts |
| Indiana | 49 | 30 | -38.8% | +70.7 ppts |
| Oregon | 51 | 35 | -31.4% | +63.3 ppts |
| Maine | 17 | 12 | -29.4% | +61.3 ppts |
| Vermont | 7 | 5 | -28.6% | +60.5 ppts |
Insights
Every state in the bottom 10 reduced fatalities by at least 28.6%. Wyoming, the top national performer, cut crashes from 12 to 6, creating an 81.9 percentage-point gap relative to California's +31.9% surge.
Methodology
This analysis was conducted by Anidjar and Levine using distracted driving fatal crash data for all 50 U.S. states, sourced directly from the Crash Data Analysis Network (CDAN), a federal crash data repository maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The dataset compares full calendar-year figures for 2023 and 2024. Year-over-year percentage change was calculated for each state using the formula: ((2024 value minus 2023 value) divided by 2023 value) multiplied by 100. States were ranked separately by the largest percentage increase, the largest percentage decrease, and proximity to California.
Data Sources
Crash Data Analysis Network (CDAN), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): https://cdan.dot.gov/query
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hmp_0cqjWJKElH_oV2L9tSYbDNh3sFtt-jcNT55Yl34/
Study by: https://www.anidjarlevine.com/
About Anidjar and Levine
Anidjar and Levine is a Florida-based personal injury law firm representing victims of auto accidents, distracted driving crashes, and wrongful death. The firm regularly publishes data-driven research on road safety to support public awareness and advance safer driving across the United States.
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