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 · ALABAMA · 2019
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/statewide/2019-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
856 CRASHES IN
ALABAMA
2019
In 2019, Alabama recorded 856 fatal crashes, a 2.3% decrease from the 876 fatal crashes in 2018. These incidents resulted in 930 fatalities in 2019, compared to 953 in the prior year. The most notable year-over-year shift was a significant decrease in fatal crashes attributed to speeding, which fell from 240 in 2018 to 193 in 2019.
856
▼ -2.3%was 876
Total Crash Events
930
▼ -2.4%was 953
Persons Killed
538
▼ -17.2%was 650
Persons Injured
30
▼ -9.1%was 33
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (930) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (856) 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 · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Overall, the data indicates a slight downward trend in traffic fatalities in Alabama. The total number of fatal crashes decreased by 2.3% from 876 in 2018 to 856 in 2019. Correspondingly, the number of people killed in these crashes fell by 2.4% from 953 to 930, and the number of people injured dropped by 17.2% from 650 to 538.
30
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2019
▼ -9.1% vs prior (33)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes saw a slight decline year-over-year. The absolute count of such incidents fell from 33 in 2018 to 30 in 2019. The rate of fatal hit-and-runs as a percentage of all fatal crashes also decreased, from 3.8% in the prior period to 3.5% in the current period.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
119
Pedestrians Killed
6
Cyclists Killed
805
Motorists Killed
0
Other Killed
8
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
529
Motorists Injured
1
Other Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The temporal patterns of fatal crashes shifted slightly between the two periods. In 2019, Saturday was the peak day with 151 fatal crashes, a change from Friday (143 crashes) in 2018. The peak hour for these incidents also moved one hour later, from 3 p.m. in 2018 (53 crashes) to 4 p.m. in 2019 (54 crashes).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Fatal crashes in clear weather increased from 538 in 2018 to 609 in 2019, while those in rainy conditions decreased from 114 to 88. Regarding lighting, fatal crashes in daylight decreased from 432 to 408. Crashes in unlit dark conditions also saw a slight reduction from 277 to 264, but incidents in lighted dark areas increased from 120 to 135.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
The most common vehicle makes involved in fatal crashes remained consistent, with Chevrolet (223 in 2019 vs. 245 in 2018) and Ford (190 vs. 192) leading both years. An analysis of persons involved shows a decrease in younger age groups, with the 16-20 age bracket falling from 235 individuals in 2018 to 203 in 2019. Conversely, the 35-44 age group saw an increase in involvement from 282 to 299 persons.
Top Vehicle Makes (1,316 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
60 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (1,903 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes were most frequent in 55 mph zones in both periods, though the count decreased from 261 in 2018 to 247 in 2019. Incidents in 45 mph zones increased from 196 to 217, and crashes in 70 mph zones rose from 76 to 84. This indicates a slight shift in fatal crashes occurring in both the 45 mph range and on high-speed 70 mph roadways.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 20 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 25 mph: 24 of 24 (100%) · 30 mph: 21 of 21 (100%) · 35 mph: 65 of 65 (100%) · 40 mph: 56 of 56 (100%) · 45 mph: 217 of 217 (100%) · 50 mph: 39 of 39 (100%) · 55 mph: 247 of 247 (100%) · 60 mph: 14 of 14 (100%) · 65 mph: 74 of 74 (100%) · 70 mph: 84 of 84 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The dominant crash type in both periods involved a single vehicle, categorized as "Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport," which includes events like rollovers or striking fixed objects. This category accounted for 513 fatal crashes (59.9%) in 2019, a slight decrease from 520 (59.4%) in 2018. Front-to-front fatal collisions, the third most common type, also decreased from 131 to 119 incidents.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Passenger cars and light trucks were the most common vehicles involved in fatal crashes in both years. In 2019, 412 four-door sedans and 266 light pickups were involved, compared to 400 and 275, respectively, in 2018. Notably, the involvement of high-fatality vehicle types increased, with motorcycles rising from 79 to 90 and large trucks (truck-tractors) increasing from 71 to 77.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 30 reported. 21 additional (161 total) not shown: Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), Unknown body type, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), 3-door/2-door hatchback, 5-door/4-door hatchback, Large Van-Includes van-based buses (B150-B350, Sportsman, Royal Maxiwagon, Ram, Tradesman,...), Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), ATV/ATC [All-Terrain Cycle], Utility station wagon (includes suburban limousines, Suburban, Travellall, Grand Wagoneer), Cab Chassis Based (includes Rescue Vehicle, Light Stake, Dump, and Tow Truck), School Bus, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle, Three-wheel Motorcycle (2 Rear Wheels), Medium/heavy truck based motorhome, Golf Cart, Farm equipment other than trucks, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR unknown), Other vehicle type (includes go-cart, fork-lift, city street sweeper dunes/swamp buggy), Off-road Motorcycle.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Fatal crashes occurred more frequently in rural areas than urban ones in both periods. In 2019, 484 of the 856 fatal crashes (56.5%) happened in rural settings, a proportion similar to the 56.2% (492 of 876) seen in 2018. The total number of fatal crashes decreased in both rural areas (from 492 to 484) and urban areas (from 384 to 372).
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
Arterial roadways accounted for the largest share of fatal crashes. In 2019, Principal Arterials saw an increase in incidents to 262 from 227 in 2018. Conversely, fatal crashes on Minor Arterials and Major Collectors decreased from 207 to 176 and from 188 to 156, respectively. Fatal crashes on Interstates increased from 102 to 109.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
Roadways owned by the State Highway Agency were the site of the most fatal crashes, with counts increasing slightly from 502 in 2018 to 509 in 2019. County-owned roads also saw a small increase from 230 to 236 fatal crashes. A notable change occurred on city or municipal-owned roadways, where fatal crashes decreased from 144 in 2018 to 110 in 2019.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers were the largest group of individuals involved in fatal crashes, with 1,298 in 2019 compared to 1,315 in 2018. The number of passengers involved decreased significantly from 596 to 492 year-over-year. In contrast, the number of pedestrians involved in these fatal incidents increased from 109 in 2018 to 127 in 2019.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
In 2019, the 856 fatal crashes resulted in 930 fatalities and 538 injuries. This represents a decrease from 2018, which saw 953 fatalities and 650 injuries from 876 fatal crashes. The reduction in injuries was driven by a drop in both serious injuries (from 237 to 208) and minor injuries (from 309 to 196).
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
Shoulder and lap belt use was reported for 987 occupants in 2019, a slight decrease from 997 in the prior year. The number of individuals recorded under "None Used/Not Applicable"—a category that includes unbelted occupants as well as pedestrians and cyclists—increased from 563 in 2018 to 628 in 2019.
Occupant Safety Equipment
"Other" combines 2 smaller categories (2 records): Other (1), Restraint Used - Type Unknown (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
Frontal impacts (12 Clock Point) were the most frequent point of collision in both periods, though the count decreased from 822 in 2018 to 805 in 2019. Rear impacts (6 Clock Point) also declined from 86 to 70. The overall distribution remained consistent, with frontal collisions representing the vast majority of initial impacts in fatal crashes.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 12 smaller categories (147 records): 3 Clock Point (48), 8 Clock Point (20), 4 Clock Point (20), 2 Clock Point (16), Undercarriage (16), 7 Clock Point (11), 5 Clock Point (7), Reported as Unknown (4), Right-Front Side (2), Left-Front Side (1), Top (1), Left-Back Side (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle incidents were the most common type of fatal crash, though their numbers fell from 482 in 2018 to 458 in 2019. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also decreased from 342 to 321. Notably, fatal crashes involving three vehicles saw a significant increase, rising from 39 incidents in 2018 to 65 in 2019.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31 · 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: 2019-01-01 through 2019-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2019-01-01 through 2019-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Alabama
- Total crash records analyzed: 856
- Total persons involved: 1,930
- Total vehicles involved: 1,316
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). "Alabama Crash Intelligence Report: 2019." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/alabama/fatal/statewide/2019-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: 2019-01-01 – 2019-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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