Road fatalities dropped an estimated 2.5% during the first half of 2026, according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week.

It’s projected to be the second-lowest half-year fatality rate in U.S. history.

Crash fatalities fell to an estimated 16,750 from January through June 2026, down from 17,175 during the first half of 2025.

“We’ve made progress on road safety, but the Trump Administration isn’t letting up,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “Even with near-record low fatality rates, we will continue to work with a sense of urgency to make sure more Americans get home safely. Through our Pathways to Safer Streets initiative, we are tackling the leading causes of traffic deaths— from reckless driving to impaired driving—while funding critical lifesaving measures like pre-hospital blood programs.”

The estimated decline in fatalities occurred despite a vehicle miles traveled increase of about 0.8% during the first half of 2026. As a result, the fatality rate fell to a near-record low of 1.02, down from the estimated rate of 1.05 from the same period in 2025. Fatalities in Q2 2026 decreased by 0.2%.

So far, 35 states and Puerto Rico are projected to have had fatality decreases during the first half of 2026.