JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NDDOT) – A total of 101 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in North Dakota in 2021 according to final crash data released by the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Safety Division.

The 2021 fatality total is a slight increase from 100 traffic fatalities in North Dakota in 2020 and 2019.

“While traffic fatalities have been on a downward trend since 2012, one death is too many on North Dakota roads,” says NDDOT Director Bill Panos. “Vision Zero continues to work toward the goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on North Dakota roads through engineering, enforcement, emergency response and education.”

Preliminary crash data for 2021 indicated there were 98 motor vehicle fatalities in North Dakota. Preliminary data is subject to change pending receipt of information that a death occurred within 30 days as a result of injuries sustained in a crash. After verifying crash fatality data, the NDDOT is able to release a final number of 101 traffic deaths in 2021.

The NDDOT reports that in 2021:

• 43 fatalities were not wearing their seat belt, an increase of 4.8% from 2020.
• 31 fatalities were alcohol-related, a decrease of 20.5% from 2020.
• 27 fatalities were speed-related, an increase of 12.5% from 2020.
• 45 fatal crashes were lane-departure related, a decrease of 25% from 2020.
• Eight fatalities were motorcyclists, a decrease from 17 in 2020.
• Nine fatalities were pedestrians, an increase from eight in 2020.

Motor vehicle fatalities in 2022 are trending lower than 2021 with 11 fatalities since January 1, 2022. There were 14 fatalities for the same time period in 2021.

All North Dakotans can actively participate in Vision Zero by taking personal responsibility every time they travel by wearing a seat belt, using appropriate child passenger safety seats, following all posted speed limits and driving sober and distraction-free.

Learn more about the Vision Zero strategy and its traffic safety campaigns at VisionZero.ND.gov.