Report: Massachusetts traffic fatalities down 9% in early 2026

Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald on Jul 19, 2026

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Traffic fatalities dropped 9% in the first quarter of 2026 in Massachusetts from 2025 projections, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data – outpacing a national decline of about 4%.

“A statistical projection of traffic fatalities for the first quarter of 2026 shows an estimated 7,770 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes, a decrease of about 4.3 percent compared to the 8,120 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first quarter of 2025,” the NHTSA report states.

The decline in U.S. traffic fatalities represents the sixteenth consecutive quarterly decline in fatalities beginning with the second quarter of 2022, the administration reported.

At the same time, Federal Highway Administration shows vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increased by about 11.1 billion miles, or about a 1.4% increase, in the first quarter months of January through March 2026 – coming out to 0.99 fatalities per 100 million VMT. This represents the second lowest first-quarter fatality rate on record, behind the 0.98 rate achieved in 2010 and 2011.

Massachusetts was one of many states that saw a decline in the early year tragedies.

“(Thirty) States and Puerto Rico are projected to have experienced decreases in fatalities in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same quarter of 2025, while 2 States remained unchanged, and 18 States and District of Columbia are projected to have had increases in fatalities,” the NHTSA report states.

The NHTSA estimated there were 68 traffic fatalities in Massachusetts in the first quarter of 2026, a marked decline of 9% from the first quarter 2025 projection.

“A reduction in fatalities despite increased vehicle travel is an incredibly positive sign that suggests safety improvements are outpacing exposure to risk on our roads,” said Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast senior spokesperson. “While this is great progress, this is no time to let up.”

The data follows the recent loss of a 36-year-old city transportation planner, who was hit while biking in Boston, and Mayor Michelle Wu’s stated intent to recommit to street redesigns, bike lanes and other pedestrian-oriented accessibility improvements in the city.

Among neighboring states, Connecticut with 37 total death, Vermont with 10 and Maine with 28 all saw declines around 25%. New Hampshire stayed steady with 17 fatalities in the first quarter, and Rhode Island jumped 57% to 11 total fatalities.

The New England region overall saw a 15% decline in fatalities, the steepest decrease of all 10 U.S. regions analyzed.

Traffic fatalities spiked after 2020, hitting highs through 2021 and early 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHTSA stated, before deaths started to drop in mid-2022.

AAA recommended focus on areas including “vehicle safety technology, enforcement, infrastructure investments and driver education.”

“No death is acceptable on our roadways,” Schieldrop said. “Policymakers must continue to address crash hotspots requiring intervention and identify success stories that traffic safety stakeholders can learn from.”

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