Fatal and Serious Crashes Cause $72 Billion In Economic and Quality of Life Costs in North Carolina in 2024

According to a national report released today by TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, fatal and serious crashes resulted in $72 billion in economic and quality of life costs in North Carolina in 2024. North Carolina traffic fatalities increased 29 percent from 2014 to 2024, and there were 131 work zone fatalities in our state from 2019 to 2023.

The report, Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis: Examining the Causes of Increasing U.S. Traffic Fatalities and Identifying Solutions to Improve Traffic Safety, documents trends in traffic fatalities from 2014 to 2024 at the national and state levels, examines causes for the increase in traffic fatalities, and prescribes a broad, comprehensive approach to reducing traffic fatalities in the U.S.

Traffic crashes result in a significant economic burden and experts in the report’s announcement cited the need for continued investment and coordinated activities by transportation and safety-related agencies in providing the needed layers of protection for the nation’s freight traffic, motorists, work zones, and pedestrians and bicyclists.

North Carolina’s transportation network is experiencing the pressures of population growth, inflation and increasing construction costs, as well as shrinking funding sources and unsustainable funding mechanisms. Over the last dozen years, the NC Chamber Foundation has put forth viable solutions, some of which have been passed into law with the support of the NC Chamber and allied business community. Unfortunately, the fact remains, what got us here won’t get us there.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation maintains more than 80,000 miles of roads, second only to Texas in this metric. The safety of North Carolinians and those visiting or passing through our state is critical to healthy communities and a healthy economy. We encourage policymakers to continue to prioritize this issue, it is time to take our next step in this effort to remain the nation’s top state for business.

Read more about the North Carolina’s transportation funding in this NC Chamber Foundation Forecast.