Transportation
Driving a car
Estimated population-level acute risk associated with driving a car over a given distance in the United States.
Base risk estimate
0.014 micromorts per miles
Population-level estimate. Not a personal prediction.
Assumptions
Assumes population-level average US driving risk across all road types, times of day, vehicle classes, and driver demographics for 2022.
Limitations
Does not account for individual driver behavior, vehicle safety ratings, specific road types, impairment, weather, or geographic region. Year-to-year variability exists.
Source notes
Derived from 42,795 traffic fatalities and approximately 3.03 trillion vehicle miles traveled in the United States in 2022 (FHWA Highway Statistics). Calculated as 14.1 fatalities per billion VMT = 0.0141 micromorts per mile, rounded to 0.014.
Last reviewed
5/31/2024