Massachusetts Car Accident Statistics: Recent Data and Critical Insights

Car crashes happen in Massachusetts more than we’d like them to. Road safety in the state paints an unfortunate picture, and the available crash data proves the unfavorable statistics.

Today, we’ll dive a little deeper into the leading causes of car accidents and discuss the factors that contribute to the increase in serious injuries and fatality rates. Knowing those will make you twice as attentive on the roads of Massachusetts.

In case the inevitable happens, and you get injured in a car accident, contact our Boston car accident lawyer to make sure that your rights are well-represented. Our team is ready to fight for just compensation for you!

Massachusetts Car Accident Statistics Overview in 2024

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, almost 100K motor vehicle crashes have been reported across the state in 2024. Most of them are various types of car collisions, but there’s a fair share of truck accidents and motorcycle accidents.

If you compare current stats to those of 2022 and 2023 — around 233K and 369K correspondingly — it is safe to state that road safety is improving. However, with almost 300 fatalities and 2,000 severe injury cases reported this year, the numbers are still high enough to be concerned.

Each type of motor vehicle accident imposes a certain amount of threat to fellow drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users. The statistics prove that state officials have a lot to do to improve road safety measures. Different measures, ranging from raising public awareness to implementing safe driving practices, can improve the traffic situation in Massachusetts in the future.

With that being said, drivers should still be especially careful on the road and know how to handle an accident if they get into one. Check out our car accident checklist to learn what to do after a potential collision.

What Are the Most Common Massachusetts Car Accident Causes?

Many factors contribute to traffic accidents in Massachusetts. While every car accident is different, we can point out a few common denominators that result in catastrophic outcomes:

• Impaired driving: Drunk driving accidents are the leading cause of fatalities across the state. According to recent stats, around 34% of car crash deaths are caused by drunk driving accidents, which means that they involve an impaired driver with an increased blood alcohol content level. This is higher than the national average rate of 31%.
• Distracted driving: Texting behind the wheel, checking GPS, or tuning the radio is another common cause of car crashes in the area. In 2024, distracted driving caused 67 injuries in our state. It takes as much as a fraction of a second distraction to get into a serious collision.
• Speeding: When drivers choose to ignore state-governed road regulations, traffic accidents happen. Exceeding speed limits affects the driver’s ability to react on time, which is why speeding resulted in 1.025 fatalities from 2013 to 2022.
• Poor weather conditions: Pouring rains, snow storms, and fogs pose serious road hazards that can’t be controlled. Reduced visibility, slippery roads, and other conditions can lead to loss of control and unexpected collisions. For example, ⅔ of total fatalities in speeding-related incidents in 2022 happened in foggy conditions.
• Aggressive driving: Some drivers ignore general traffic regulations and participate in such dangerous activities as tailgating, lane changes, and overall ignoring of traffic signals. Road rage is yet another common cause of serious accidents.
• Underage driving: Teenagers pose a serious threat on the streets since they do not possess the necessary skills and driving experience. In Massachusetts, 11% of fatal crashes involved drivers of young age.
• Mechanic defects: Sometimes, it is the vehicle, not the driver, that causes a collision. Defective tires, brakes, transmissions, and other improperly maintained parts of the vehicle become frequent causes of car crashes.

What Are the Most Common Massachusetts Car Accident Types?

No two crashes are identical. However, car accidents can be divided into a few major categories. The more aware a road user is of the common types, the easier it will be to avoid them and decrease the overall number of injured victims. Here are the most common types of car accidents in Massachusetts according to NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS):

1. Head-on accidents (69% of fatalities): When the two fronts of the vehicles bump into one another, they lead to various serious injuries. Such collisions are extremely dangerous because they combine the speed and weight of both motor vehicles.
2. T-bone accidents (23%): A side impact car accident implies that one vehicle rams into the side of another. In case you don’t know, the sides of most autos are less protected than the back or the front, meaning that the fatality rate of such collisions is exceptionally high.
3. Rear-end accidents (8%): When one vehicle hits the other from behind, a rear-end collision takes place. This crash type varies in terms of severity, from minor incidents to severe catastrophes. The speed and type of the vehicle play a major part in the severity of the incident.

In addition, many accidents result in rollovers, which are mostly caused by speeding. Considering the cause, such incidents often involve fatal outcomes: 21% of fatalities in passenger car accidents and 36% in truck accidents were due to rollovers.

This comes especially true if the driver or the passenger skips on wearing their seat belts. Not wearing a seat belt also increases the risk of severe injuries — 397 people injured in crashes were unrestrained.

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Most Typical Massachusetts Car Accident Injuries

The most common car accident injuries are:

• Back injuries

  The spine is exceptionally susceptible to traumas, and car crashes can seriously damage it. In exceptionally difficult cases, the injuries end up in full or partial body paralysis.

• Head traumas

  Traumatic brain injuries, including but not limited to concussions, happen due to a serious blow to the head.

• Fractures

  Broken legs, arms, hips, ribs, and other bones are a frequent outcome of different collisions.

• Neck injuries

  When your head is suddenly thrust, a neck trauma may happen. The most common neck injury would be a whiplash, which causes serious pain and sometimes leads to cervical spine injury.

Some collisions are more serious than others. The following table breaks down reported accidents by severity level, comparing 2023 statistics with year-to-date figures for 2024.

Places With the Most Crashes in Boston, MA

So far, there’ve been 4,468 car crashes in Boston, and 18 of them were fatal. According to the most recent research from the Boston Globe, these are the locations where most of the accidents take place:

1. Massachusetts Avenue & Melnea Cass Boulevard (124 crashes from 2014 to 2024)
2. Albany Street & Massachusetts Avenue (96 crashes from 2014 to 2024)
3. Harvard Street & Morton Street (87 crashes from 2014 to 2024)
4. Cedar Street & Columbus Avenue (86 crashes from 2014 to 2024)
5. American Legion Highway & Walk Hill Street (79 crashes from 2014 to 2024)

If you or your loved one were injured in a traffic accident in Massachusetts, you are entitled to better than just an average car accident settlement. Our team is ready to help you hold the liable party accountable, and even if the at-fault driver left the accident scene, our hit-and-run attorneys know how to achieve justice. Contact our lawyers to receive the maximum compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve endured!