Roadway travel remains one of the riskiest daily activities, both in Arkansas and nationwide. To better understand trends related to roadway fatalities in the state and help identify opportunities for improvement, ACHI examined state roadway fatality data from 2016 through 2023, with particular focus on where fatalities most frequently occur, when fatalities occurred, demographics of the people who died, and the role of risky behaviors such as failure to use restraints or wear a helmet.
This installment in our Data Watch series updates our previous analysis of 2016-2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System with new data from 2023, the most recent year for which data are available.
Key Findings
- In 2023, there were 590 roadway fatalities in Arkansas, including motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. This marks a 7% decline from the previous year and a 15% decline from a recent peak of 692 fatalities in 2021.
- Rural counties in Arkansas experienced higher rates of roadway fatalities compared to more urban counties. In 2023, Monroe County had the highest fatality rate in the state with 103 fatalities per 100,000 residents.
- Risky behaviors contributed to roadway fatalities in 2023: In 46% of motorist fatalities, no restraint was used by vehicle occupants, and 62% of motorcycle occupants who died were not wearing a helmet.
Data used in this analysis can also be viewed in our interactive dashboard.
