Mississippi’s Intersection Deaths Begin Declining After Years of Elevated Fatal Crashes

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Mississippi records the seventh-highest fatal intersection crash rate in the United States at 3.63 per 100,000 residents, ranking among the deadliest states for intersection safety in America.
• Over a five-year period from 2020 to 2024, Mississippi recorded 535 fatal intersection crashes, averaging 107 deaths per year at intersections statewide.
• Fatal intersection crashes surged to a peak of 114 in 2022 (3.87 per 100,000), then declined to 97 in 2024 (3.29 per 100,000).

Mississippi faces a serious intersection safety crisis, though recent data offers encouraging signs that meaningful progress is possible. The state ranks seventh in the nation for fatal intersection crash rates, placing it among America’s deadliest states for intersection safety. Every day, residents of Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, and communities across Mississippi navigate intersections where the risk of fatal collision exceeds that of most American states. However, the trend from 2022 to 2024 suggests that targeted safety interventions can produce measurable results. The combination of infrastructure improvements, enhanced enforcement, and public awareness campaigns appears to have begun reducing Mississippi’s intersection fatality burden.

According to an analysis by Wilk Law Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, fatal intersection crashes in Mississippi were tracked using comprehensive data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Annual state-level totals were compiled across five years from 2020 to 2024. This detailed analysis reveals a state that experienced elevated crashes through 2022 but has begun demonstrating measurable improvement. The recent decline in fatalities from 2023 to 2024, reaching the five-year lowest level, indicates that interventions begun in recent years are beginning to show positive results.

Mississippi’s Fatal Intersection Crashes: Year-by-Year Breakdown (2020-2024)

Mississippi’s intersection fatality data reveals a state that experienced elevated crashes through the middle of the five-year period but has begun demonstrating measurable improvement. The state began 2020 with 106 fatal intersection crashes (3.60 per 100,000 residents), establishing a baseline. Crashes remained relatively stable in 2021 at 107 (3.63 per 100,000), suggesting persistent safety challenges. However, 2022 saw crashes surge to 114 (3.87 per 100,000), a concerning increase representing the five-year peak that should have signaled need for comprehensive intervention. Significantly, Mississippi’s data then shows encouraging improvement. Crashes declined to 111 in 2023 (3.77 per 100,000), and then declined further to 97 in 2024 (3.29 per 100,000). This 14.91% reduction from the 2022 peak, combined with reaching a five-year low in 2024, suggests that Mississippi’s intersection safety interventions are beginning to produce measurable results.

Commenting on the study, Tyler Wilk, Founding Attorney at Wilk Law Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, stated:

“Mississippi’s intersection fatality statistics represent real Mississippians whose lives have been forever changed at intersections. While the state remains in the top ten most dangerous states nationally, the recent improvement trend is encouraging. The decline from 114 fatal crashes in 2022 to 97 in 2024 demonstrates that targeted interventions can produce measurable results. Mississippi averages approximately one fatal intersection crash every 3-4 days, still far too many. However, the positive trajectory suggests that the state’s investments in intersection safety are beginning to pay dividends. Mississippi should sustain and expand these efforts, maintaining focus on the high-risk intersections and dangerous driving behaviors that contribute to fatalities. If Mississippi continues on this positive trajectory, further reductions are achievable.”

Five-Year Summary: Mississippi’s Intersection Safety Crisis in Numbers

These numbers reflect a state with a serious intersection safety challenge that is beginning to show signs of improvement. Over five years, Mississippi recorded 535 fatal intersection crashes, averaging 107 deaths per year and approximately one fatal crash every 3-4 days. For a state with 2.95 million residents, this represents a significant intersection fatality burden. However, the recent downward trajectory, with 2024 reaching a five-year low, offers encouraging evidence that sustained, multi-year efforts to improve intersection safety can produce measurable results. If Mississippi can sustain and expand these improvements, the state could potentially achieve further reductions in coming years.

Methodology

This analysis used fatal intersection crash incident counts extracted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database, spanning 2020 through 2024. Annual state-level counts were compiled for each calendar year and averaged across the five years to produce a stable annual mean. These averages were normalized against Mississippi state population estimates and expressed as incidents per 100,000 residents to enable direct, proportional comparison with other states. Per capita normalization ensures that rankings reflect true risk exposure rather than raw volume, allowing meaningful comparison between Mississippi and states of different sizes.

Data Sources

• • U.S. Department of Transportation, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): https://cdan.dot.gov/query
  • U.S. Census Bureau, State Population Data: https://data.census.gov/table?q=population+by+age+by+state

• Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HfWsOtbgVZCo6cwC6XfkT8rK7vMmRQwovUjtcvNBf_4/edit?gid=0#gid=0

• Research by: https://wilklawfirm.com/

About Wilk Law Personal Injury and Car Accident Lawyers

Wilk Law Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers is a Pennsylvania-based firm that represents victims of negligence in cases involving vehicle collisions, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, premises liability, and wrongful death. The firm’s extensive experience handling intersection accident cases across Mississippi and the nation provides valuable insight into the infrastructure improvements, enforcement strategies, and systemic factors that can reduce fatal intersection crashes.