Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): U.S. Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes

The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) contains detailed records of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States since 1975. It is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and each case includes more than 100 coded data elements describing the crash, vehicles, and people involved. Data is compiled from state-level source documents including police reports, death certificates, and hospital records.

Use Cases

• Identify high-risk road segments and times based on crash location and time data mentioned in the description
• Model driver and vehicle risk factors based on the over 100 coded data elements per case
• Analyze the effectiveness of safety interventions over time using the longitudinal data starting from 1975
• Study injury patterns and outcomes based on linked medical examiner and hospital records

Strengths

• Nationwide coverage of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. since 1975
• Each case includes more than 100 coded data elements for detailed analysis
• Data is compiled from multiple authoritative sources per state, including police reports and death certificates

Limitations

• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified

Provenance

Source

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Collection Method

Data is gathered from each state's source documents (e.g., police reports, vehicle registration, death certificates) and coded on standard forms.

Time Range

1975 to present

Geography

United States