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Fewer people died on North Carolina highways last year than the year before, and the rate of crash injuries, adjusted for miles driven, was an all-time low, according to a new report from the Division of Motor Vehicles.
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The DMV says traffic fatalities dropped 12% in 2025 to 1,524. That’s the fewest since 2019, before a spike in highway deaths that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speeding and alcohol were common factors in fatal crashes, and seat belt use helped determine who survived. While more than 90% of the people wear seat belts, 44% of those killed in crashes did not, according to the DMV report.
Meanwhile, the number of people injured in crashes declined nearly 6% last year to 107,076. Based on gas tax revenue, the state estimates that people drove a record 132 billion miles in North Carolina last year and that the number of people injured per mile traveled was the lowest since records began in 1960.
The DMV uses law enforcement crash reports to compile its annual Crash Facts, a comprehensive look at where and under what circumstances people crashed their cars, trucks and motorcycles.
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Among the findings in the 2025 report:
Teens, many of whom are new to driving and take part in the state’s provisional licensing program that requires some adult supervision, were involved in fewer crashes last year. But they’re prone to some of the same mistakes as adults. Of the crashes that killed 106 teens last year, speed was a factor in nearly 40% and nearly 23% were alcohol related, even though teens can’t legally drink.
Joe Stewart, executive director of the N.C. Alliance for Safe Transportation, said the statistics aren’t surprising. The nonprofit alliance underscores those lessons in its Teen Ambassador program, which recruits high school and college students as safe driving advocates.
“We know how to avoid most crashes,” Stewart said in a written statement. “Slow down. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t look at your phone. Focus. We’re thankful to drivers who take this to heart, every time they drive, and to law enforcement for keeping us all honest.”
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This story was originally published October 22, 2026 at 12:54 PM.