Fatal Crashes Only
This report covers fatal crashes only, from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System — the federal census of every crash on a US public road that killed someone within 30 days. It does not include injury or property-damage-only crashes, and its totals are not comparable with the all-severity crash reports published elsewhere on this site.
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YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA · 2023
Purpose: Machine-readable JSON endpoint for AI agents, LLMs, researchers, and programmatic consumers. Returns all underlying crash data and AI-generated commentary without HTML.
Authentication: None required. Public endpoint.
GET: https://thatcarhitme.com/api/crash-data/reports/data/alabama/fatal/birmingham/2023-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
43 CRASHES IN
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
2023
In 2023, Birmingham experienced 43 fatal crashes, resulting in 49 fatalities, which represents a decrease from the 50 fatal crashes and 51 fatalities recorded in 2022. This marks a 14% reduction in fatal crashes and a 3.9% reduction in fatalities year-over-year. However, fatal hit-and-run crashes saw a substantial increase of 233%, rising from 3 in 2022 to 10 in 2023.
43
▼ -14.0%was 50
Total Crash Events
49
▼ -3.9%was 51
Persons Killed
28
▲ 16.7%was 24
Persons Injured
10
▲ 233.3%was 3
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (49) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (43) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Overall, fatal crash incidents in Birmingham showed a downward trend from 2022 to 2023. The number of fatal crashes decreased by 14%, from 50 in 2022 to 43 in 2023. Similarly, total fatalities decreased by 3.9%, from 51 in 2022 to 49 in 2023.
10
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▲ 233.3% vs prior (3)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes saw a significant increase in 2023 compared to 2022. The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes rose by 233%, from 3 in 2022 to 10 in 2023. This also led to a substantial increase in the hit-and-run rate among all fatal crashes, from 6% in 2022 to 23.3% in 2023.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
13
Pedestrians Killed
1
Cyclists Killed
35
Motorists Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
28
Motorists Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The peak day for fatal crashes remained Sunday in both 2022 and 2023, with 16 fatal crashes occurring on this day in each year. However, the peak hour for fatal crashes shifted from 5 AM in 2022 to 2 AM in 2023, with both hours recording 6 fatal crashes. While July had the highest number of fatalities in both years (8 in 2022 and 8 in 2023), October recorded the highest number of fatal crashes in 2023 with 8, compared to July and September in 2022, which each had 8 fatal crashes.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Fatal crashes predominantly occurred in clear weather conditions for both periods, with 37 in 2023 and 34 in 2022. There was a notable decrease in fatal crashes during cloudy conditions, from 9 in 2022 to 4 in 2023, and during rain, from 6 in 2022 to 2 in 2023. Regarding lighting, fatal crashes in dark but lighted conditions increased from 19 in 2022 to 23 in 2023, while those in daylight decreased from 18 to 7 over the same period.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Chevrolet was the most frequently involved vehicle make in fatal crashes in 2023 with 12 vehicles, surpassing Ford which led in 2022 with 13 vehicles. The number of Nissan/Datsun vehicles involved increased from 4 in 2022 to 7 in 2023. In terms of persons involved, the 26-34 age group saw a decrease from 28 persons in 2022 to 23 persons in 2023, while the 21-25 age group increased from 8 persons in 2022 to 21 persons in 2023.
Top Vehicle Makes (74 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
14 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (108 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
The distribution of fatal crashes across speed zones saw some shifts year-over-year. Fatal crashes in the 40 mph zone more than doubled, increasing from 4 in 2022 to 10 in 2023. Conversely, fatal crashes in the 25 mph zone decreased from 3 in 2022 to 1 in 2023, and in the 30 mph zone from 7 to 5. The 35 mph and 60 mph zones maintained the same number of fatal crashes in both periods, with 8 and 5 respectively.
Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 30 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 35 mph: 8 of 8 (100%) · 40 mph: 10 of 10 (100%) · 45 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 50 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 55 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 60 mph: 5 of 5 (100%) · 70 mph: 1 of 1 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The dominant manner of fatal collision in both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport', accounting for 25 fatal crashes in 2023 and 31 in 2022. Angle fatal collisions increased from 6 in 2022 to 11 in 2023. Conversely, Front-to-Front fatal collisions decreased from 7 in 2022 to 2 in 2023, while Front-to-Rear collisions remained stable at 4 in both years.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
In both periods, 4-door sedans were the most frequently involved vehicle body type in fatal crashes, increasing from 26 in 2022 to 30 in 2023. The number of light pickups involved decreased from 12 in 2022 to 8 in 2023. Two-wheel motorcycles maintained a consistent involvement, with 7 in both 2022 and 2023, indicating a continued presence of this high-fatality category.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 13 reported. 4 additional (5 total) not shown: Unknown light vehicle type (automobile,utility vehicle, van, or light truck), Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), 3-door/2-door hatchback, Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Roadway Functional Class
In 2023, 'Other Principal Arterial' roads recorded the highest number of fatal crashes with 15, an increase from 7 in 2022. Conversely, fatal crashes on 'Minor Arterial' roads decreased from 16 in 2022 to 12 in 2023. Interstate fatal crashes also saw a reduction, from 15 in 2022 to 8 in 2023, while local roads experienced a decrease from 7 to 4 fatal crashes.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
Fatal crashes on roadways owned by City or Municipal Highway Agencies decreased from 27 in 2022 to 22 in 2023. Similarly, fatal crashes on State Highway Agency-owned roads decreased from 23 in 2022 to 21 in 2023. Both ownership categories showed a reduction in the number of fatal crashes year-over-year.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers remained the dominant person type involved in fatal crashes, with 70 drivers in 2023 compared to 72 in 2022. There was a notable increase in the number of passengers involved, rising from 20 in 2022 to 32 in 2023. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes also increased from 8 in 2022 to 13 in 2023, while bicyclists remained consistent at 1 in both periods.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Fatalities (K) decreased slightly from 51 in 2022 to 49 in 2023. Serious injuries (A) also decreased from 13 to 11, and minor injuries (B) decreased from 7 to 5. However, possible injuries (C) increased from 4 in 2022 to 10 in 2023, and the number of persons with no reported injury (O) increased from 28 to 39.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of persons reported using shoulder and lap belts in fatal crashes increased from 32 in 2022 to 38 in 2023. Concurrently, the number of persons for whom no safety equipment was used or was not applicable rose from 23 in 2022 to 36 in 2023. The count of unknown safety equipment use decreased from 37 in 2022 to 27 in 2023.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The '12 Clock Point' remained the most common area of impact in fatal crashes, although its count decreased from 44 in 2022 to 34 in 2023. Impacts at the '6 Clock Point' increased from 4 in 2022 to 6 in 2023. Impacts at the '11 Clock Point' also increased from 4 in 2022 to 7 in 2023.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 6 smaller categories (10 records): 7 Clock Point (3), 2 Clock Point (2), 9 Clock Point (2), 4 Clock Point (1), 8 Clock Point (1), 5 Clock Point (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle fatal crashes decreased from 24 in 2022 to 22 in 2023. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also saw a reduction, from 22 in 2022 to 13 in 2023. Conversely, multi-vehicle fatal crashes involving three vehicles increased from 3 in 2022 to 6 in 2023, and those involving four vehicles doubled from 1 to 2.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Data Sources & Methodology
Primary Data Source
All crash data in this report is sourced from NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), accessed programmatically via the NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SODA). This dataset contains official police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash records maintained by the reporting jurisdiction's law enforcement agency. Records are published to the open data portal by the municipality and are subject to the portal's terms of use.
Data Retrieval
- Access method: NHTSA FARS Open Data API (SoQL queries)
- Data format: Structured JSON via REST API
- Record types queried: Crash events, person records, and vehicle unit records
- Date filter applied: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Birmingham, Alabama
- Total crash records analyzed: 43
- Total persons involved: 116
- Total vehicles involved: 74
Analytical Methodology
- Severity classification: Uses the KABCO injury scale (K=Fatal, A=Incapacitating injury, B=Non-incapacitating injury, C=Possible injury, O=No injury/property damage only), the standard classification in U.S. Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). Severity is assigned per crash event based on the most severe injury in that crash. A single fatal crash (K) may involve multiple fatalities; therefore the "Persons Killed" count in the headline KPIs may differ from the "Fatal" crash count in the severity breakdown.
- Contributing factors: Reflect the officer-determined primary contributory cause recorded at the time of the crash report. These are preliminary determinations and may not reflect final investigation findings.
- Hit-and-run classification: Based on the hit-and-run indicator field in the official crash report, as determined by the responding officer at the scene.
- Temporal analysis: Day-of-week and hour-of-day distributions are computed from the crash date/time timestamp in each record.
- Demographics: Age and sex distributions are drawn from person-level records linked to each crash event. A single crash may involve multiple persons.
- Vehicle data: Make information is drawn from vehicle unit records linked to each crash event.
- AI commentary: Narrative sections are generated by Google Gemini (large language model) based on the structured data. Commentary is descriptive, not predictive, and should not be interpreted as expert opinion.
Limitations & Disclaimers
- Only crashes reported to and documented by law enforcement are included. Minor incidents, unreported crashes, and near-misses are not captured in this dataset.
- Data reflects conditions at the time of the initial police report and may be subject to subsequent corrections, reclassifications, or supplements by the reporting agency.
- Open data portal records may experience a publication lag - recently occurring crashes may not yet appear in the dataset at the time of report generation.
- AI-generated commentary is produced by a large language model and is intended to highlight patterns in the data. It does not constitute legal, medical, or professional analysis.
- Percentages are calculated from reported data and are subject to rounding.
Non-Affiliation Disclosure
This report is produced independently by ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with any law enforcement agency, municipal government, state department of transportation, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data is sourced from publicly available government open data portals.
Data License
The underlying crash data is provided under the municipality's Open Data Terms of Use and is made available to the public for unrestricted use. This analysis and report is © 2026 Injuria.ai and may be cited with attribution using the suggested citation below.
Corrections & Feedback
If you believe any data in this report is inaccurate or have questions about our methodology, please contact: data@injuria.ai. We are committed to accuracy and will issue corrections promptly.
Suggested Citation
ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). "Birmingham, Alabama Crash Intelligence Report: 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/alabama/fatal/birmingham/2023-annual-report
About the Publisher
ThatCarHitMe.com is a crash data intelligence platform developed by Injuria.ai, a legal technology company specializing in traffic safety analytics. We aggregate and analyze publicly available government crash data to produce structured intelligence reports for communities, researchers, journalists, and legal professionals. Our reports combine programmatic data retrieval from official open data portals with AI-assisted narrative analysis.
Questions about this report's data or methodology: data@injuria.ai
ThatCarHitMe.com · An Injuria.ai Company
ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
Crash Data Intelligence
Data: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · NHTSA FARS
Period: 2023-01-01 – 2023-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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