According to study data, 11% of serious motor vehicle accidents and 20% of fatal motor vehicle accidents involve a driver fleeing the scene. Between 2014 and 2019, hit-and-run crashes accounted for about 20% of pedestrian fatalities. This number jumped to 24% in 2020, and is currently 25%.
In this study we’ll consider the key hit-and-run contributory factors, and consider why so many hit-and-run crimes occur. And we’ll rank the U.S. states that feature the highest level of hit-and-run incidents, and look at which states feature the most hit-and-run fatalities per individual contributory factor.
Before we take a deep dive into specific data, let’s consider some broad United States hit-and-run statistics.
Hit-and-Run Accidents in the USA
According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data, between 2019 to 2023, there were nearly 4 million hit-and-runs in the U.S, with 13,000 people killed.
During the study period, 2022 featured the most hit-and-run crashes (2,895), with September and October tied for the month featuring the most crashes (280). 1,271 of the people killed during hit-and-run incidents were the drivers of the culpable vehicle. But what are the factors that lead to a hit-and-run incident?
Some Reasons Why Hit-and-Run Incidents Occur
There are many reasons drivers flee the scene following a fatal crash. Perhaps the most obvious reason is to escape punishment by absconding from the crime scene as quickly as possible.
But there are other common reasons: some drivers are genuinely oblivious to the fact that they’ve done anything wrong, or they underestimate the seriousness of an incident and so simply drive away; some panic and go into ‘flight mode’ due to crash shock; some initially stop but then flee to avoid further intimidation from another driver; others still are drunk or otherwise impaired.
Driver behavior aside, there’s a wide variation across the nation’s states when we consider the number of hit-and-run fatalities that have occurred in each over the study period in question. Here are the U.S. states that featured the highest number of hit-and-run fatalities between 2019 and 2023, according to NHTSA FARS data.
States with the Highest Number of Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 2,178 |
| 2 | Texas | 973 |
| 3 | Florida | 1,260 |
| 4 | Illinois | 496 |
| 5 | Georgia | 462 |
| 6 | New York | 459 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 444 |
| 8 | Arizona | 439 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 410 |
| 10 | Ohio | 363 |
As we’ll see throughout the study, Texas consistently holds a high-ranking place when it comes to hit-and-run incidents. Broadly speaking, the leading states with the highest number of hit-and-run incidents are large metro areas that feature generally high overall numbers of adverse traffic incidents.
When we consider the other end of the scale, to consider the list of the states featuring the lowest number of hit-and-run fatalities, rural Northeastern states are clearly subject to very few instances of post-accident drivers fleeing the scene.
States with the Lowest Number of Hit-and-Run Fatalities (2019-2023)
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 4 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 6 |
| 3 | Vermont | 8 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 8 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 13 |
| 6 | Idaho | 15 |
| 7 | South Dakota | 15 |
| 8 | Alaska | 19 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 19 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 21 |
During the study period in question, 8,442 pedestrians were killed during hit-and-run incidents: 2022 featured the highest single-year total number of fatalities (1,925) across the dataset.
Here’s a look at the states featuring the highest numbers of pedestrian hit-and-run victims, with Texas once again ranking just below California in second place.
States with the Highest Number of Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| State | Total |
|---|---|
| California | 1,485 |
| Texas | 973 |
| Florida | 749 |
| Georgia | 332 |
| New York | 309 |
| Arizona | 291 |
| Illinois | 287 |
| Tennessee | 276 |
| North Carolina | 271 |
| Michigan | 220 |
Conversely, here are the states featuring the least significant pedestrian hit-and-run numbers, with rural Northeastern states once again faring particularly well.
States with the Lowest Number of Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| State | Total |
|---|---|
| Maine | 3 |
| New Hampshire | 4 |
| Vermont | 7 |
| Wyoming | 8 |
| Idaho | 9 |
| North Dakota | 9 |
| South Dakota | 9 |
| Iowa | 11 |
| Rhode Island | 12 |
| Alaska | 15 |
Another key hit-and-run factor during the study period in question is the number of incidents that involved speeding, with 2023 the worst year for hit-and-run speeding deaths (565).
Once again, California led the way with 597 speeding-related hit-and-run fatalities: Texas again posted the next-highest fatality figures (355), far outstripping Illinois (166) in third spot.
States with the Highest Number of Speeding-Related Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| State | Total |
|---|---|
| California | 597 |
| Texas | 355 |
| Illinois | 166 |
| New York | 113 |
| Arizona | 82 |
| Pennsylvania | 81 |
| Missouri | 79 |
| North Carolina | 68 |
| Michigan | 66 |
| Tennessee | 58 |
Vermont, with just one speeding-related hit-and-run fatality, posted the lowest speeding-related numbers in the U.S., further cementing its place in the overall top ten for meager hit-and-run figures. There was also a strong showing among other rural U.S. states, including Idaho, West Virginia, and Alaska.
States with the Lowest Number of Speeding-Related Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| State | Total |
|---|---|
| Vermont | 1 |
| Idaho | 2 |
| West Virginia | 2 |
| Alaska | 3 |
| North Dakota | 3 |
| South Dakota | 3 |
| Iowa | 4 |
| Delaware | 5 |
| Nebraska | 5 |
| Rhode Island | 6 |
Distracted driving was a further significant cause of crash fatalities that ultimately became hit-and-run incidents (1,019), with 2022 the year featuring the highest number of hit-and-run fatalities (230). Here are the ten states that posted the leading figures, with Texas significantly ahead of Illinois in second place.
States with the Highest Number of Distracted Driving Hit-and-Rrun Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 165 |
| 2 | Illinois | 129 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 74 |
| 4 | New York | 70 |
| 5 | Florida | 69 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 65 |
| 7 | Washington | 51 |
| 8 | California | 50 |
| 9 | Arizona | 30 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 30 |
Further augmenting a consistent pattern, a number of rural states featuring often remote roadways posted a single distracted driving hit-and-run fatality.
States with the Lowest Number of Distracted Driving Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 1 |
| 2 | Idaho | 1 |
| 3 | Maine | 1 |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1 |
| 5 | Nevada | 1 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 1 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 1 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 1 |
| 10 | Arkansas | 2 |
Impaired driving was a highly prevalent factor regarding hit-and-run accident fatalities.
From the study period, 2021 featured the highest number (159) of hit-and-run fatalities involving an intoxicated driver, while Texas once again ranked near the top of the list, second only to California.
States with the Highest Number of Impaired Driving Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 184 |
| 2 | Texas | 101 |
| 3 | Florida | 41 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 33 |
| 5 | New York | 32 |
| 6 | Nevada | 28 |
| 7 | Georgia | 23 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 23 |
| 9 | Illinois | 22 |
| 10 | Colorado | 21 |
Continuing a familiar trend, the states at the other end of the impaired driving spectrum were a predominantly rural mix of U.S. regions
States with the Lowest Number of Impaired Driving Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | 1 |
| 2 | Kansas | 1 |
| 3 | Maine | 1 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 1 |
| 5 | Montana | 1 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1 |
| 7 | Wyoming | 1 |
| 8 | Delaware | 2 |
| 9 | Iowa | 2 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 2 |
Another key metric is the number of uninsured drivers involved in hit-and-run fatality figures. During the study period, uninsured drivers were responsible for 181 hit-and-run fatalities; the highest yearly count of 43 was recorded during both 2021 and 2022.
Texas once again posts significant numbers and claims third spot, behind Illinois and Tennessee, which respectively take first- and second-place.
States Featuring the Highest Number of Uninsured Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 39 |
| 2 | Tennessee | 31 |
| 3 | Texas | 12 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 11 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 10 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 8 |
| 7 | Georgia | 8 |
| 8 | Mississippi | 8 |
| 9 | Louisiana | 7 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 7 |
At the other end of the uninsured hit-and-run scale, Oklahoma, Utah, and Indiana all recorded just 1 fatality apiece.
Unlicensed hit-and-run drivers were also a significant issue between 2019 and 2023, during which they were responsible for 1,481 fatalities, with the highest number (336) occurring during 2021. In this category, Texas came out on top, pushing California into second place and Florida into a distant third place.
States Featuring the Highest Number of Unlicensed Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 319 |
| 2 | California | 235 |
| 3 | Florida | 104 |
| 4 | New York | 69 |
| 5 | Colorado | 59 |
| 6 | Arizona | 44 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 44 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 38 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 36 |
| 10 | Illinois | 35 |
A familiar pattern of low-numbers rural hit-and-run states prevailed for the other end of the fatality scale.
States Featuring the Lowest Number of Unlicensed Hit-and-Run Fatalities
| # | State | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | 1 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 1 |
| 3 | Iowa | 1 |
| 4 | Vermont | 1 |
| 5 | Alaska | 2 |
| 6 | Idaho | 2 |
| 7 | South Dakota | 2 |
| 8 | Montana | 3 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 3 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 3 |
Over the study period, 190 hit-and-run fatalities involved a police pursuit. While California featured the most (38 hit-and-run fatalities involving a police pursuit), Texas was close behind with 32 – double third-placed Illinois figures (16), with Wisconsin (10) and Tennessee (9) making up the rest of the top five.
To recap, here are the leading factors regarding hit-and-run fatalities in the United States between 2019 and 2023. Speeding drivers are by some margin the biggest factor when it comes to hit-and-runs.
- Speeding 2,506
- Pedestrians 1,485
- Unlicensed drivers 1,481
- Distracted drivers 1,026
- Impaired drivers 733
When we consider the vehicle types most involved in hit-and-run accidents, passenger cars are significantly ahead of different kinds of light trucks (utility and pickup) in second and third place.
Reported Vehicle Body Types (Hit-and-Run Fatalities)
These patterns are broadly reflected in Texas’ hit-and-run vehicle type statistics, though there are interesting anomalies. The light truck proportion is far higher in Texas (partially reflecting a preponderance of such vehicles on Texan roads), and motorcycle hit-and-run involvement is extremely low.
Here’s a full list of Texas’s hit-and-run vehicle type numbers.
Two further key outstanding issues are those regarding the age and gender of the hit-and-run victims in the 2019-2023 dataset. Of the 13,001 fatalities, data on age and gender was recorded for 10,853 fatalities, of which men made up an overwhelming majority (8,379), while women made up the remainder (2,474).
The age breakdown of hit-and-run victims was as follows.
| Age | Total Fatalities |
|---|---|
| 16-20 | 981 |
| 21-24 | 1,308 |
| 25-34 | 3,033 |
| 35-44 | 2,086 |
| 45-64 | 2,687 |
| 65+ | 758 |
Men between the ages of 25 and 34 comprise the highest single age group number of hit-and-run fatalities, with 2,336.
Texas data on 1,308 of the 10,853 recorded fatalities also places men between 25 and 34 as the age group that suffered the highest single number of fatalities: 399.
Here’s a full list of hit-and-run age figures in Texas.
| Age | Total |
|---|---|
| 16-20 | 135 |
| 21-24 | 192 |
| 25-34 | 399 |
| 35-44 | 244 |
| 45-64 | 264 |
| 65+ | 74 |
In terms of gender, Texan figures put men as comprising by far the highest proportion of the state’s 1,308 fatalities (1,023), with women’s numbers far behind (285).
Fleeing the Scene: Hit-and-Runs in America
With 11% of serious motor vehicle accidents and 20% of fatal motor vehicle accidents involving a driver fleeing the scene (and 13,001 dead between 2019 and 2023), it’s clear that hit-and-run accidents are a huge issue in the U.S.
The main driving factors regarding often complex fatal hit-and-runs are speeding, impaired or distracted driving, a lack of insurance, and driving without a license. All of these factors compound the likelihood that a panicking offending driver will flee the scene.
190 hit–and–run fatalities involved a police pursuit, and while California featured the most (38), Texas was close behind with 32
California led the national hit-and-run fatality numbers, but Texas placed second overall and posted the highest number of fatal hit-and-runs involving both unlicensed and distracted drivers.
A significant number of hit-and-run fatalities involved uninsured drivers, another example of culpable drivers fleeing the scene in an attempt to avoid legal and financial consequences. And there was a small but notable number of hit-and-run fatality cases that involved a police pursuit, highlighting how quickly such incidents can escalate and become deadly.
For a city like Texas, high hit-and-run numbers are due to a number of factors. High traffic volume, a high proportion of errant driver behavior such as speeding and drunk driving, rising levels of driver inattention, and unsafe lane-changing on highways (predominantly by young, aggressive male drivers) compound the risk.
And in any state, risky driving happens more often at night – when pedestrians, the most common hit-and-run victims, are far harder to spot.
Yet, as a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article on the subject of hit-and-runs makes clear, there’s no specific type of hit-and-run driver, and all drivers are capable of fleeing the scene following a crash. ‘A confidential police informant. A mother distracted by her child.
An 80-year-old retired woman from Michigan. A former paramedic. A man with a murder charge. Hit-and-run drivers span all ages, races, and genders.’ As such, it behooves all drivers to drive responsibly and avoid drunk driving, speeding, and any in-car distractions that may take their attention from the road. By curbing their potential for dangerous driving, American drivers can avoid the need to even contemplate fleeing a crime scene.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Texas, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next. To receive maximum compensation for your damages, you need to partner with an experienced car accident lawyer in Texas.
A Texas personal injury lawyer can help you build a strong case, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for your rights. Don’t wait until it’s too late; contact The Texas Law Dog today for a free legal consultation. We don’t just bark, we bite.
