Road deaths in North Carolina, 2023
Deaths
1,577
Per 100,000 residents
14.49
Rank
18 of 51
North Carolina recorded 1,577 road deaths in 1,465 fatal crashes during 2023. At 14.49 deaths per 100,000 residents it sits 19% above the national rate of 12.18, ranking 18 of 51 — among the more dangerous half. Deaths fell 3.3% from 2022.
Where the deaths happened
Counties with the most road deaths in 2023. These are raw counts — populous counties will rank high simply because more people drive there.
| County | Deaths | Share of state |
|---|---|---|
| Wake | 101 | 6.4% |
| Mecklenburg | 97 | 6.2% |
| Robeson | 65 | 4.1% |
| Guilford | 54 | 3.4% |
| Cumberland | 52 | 3.3% |
| Forsyth | 51 | 3.2% |
| Buncombe | 47 | 3.0% |
| Durham | 38 | 2.4% |
| Davidson | 33 | 2.1% |
| Randolph | 33 | 2.1% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2023 national file. Population: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 state population estimates.How these numbers are built →