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 · ALASKA · 2020
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/alaska/fatal/statewide/2020-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
53 CRASHES IN
ALASKA
2020
In 2020, Alaska recorded 53 fatal crashes, a 14.5% decrease from the 62 fatal crashes documented in 2019. Fatalities also saw a slight decrease from 67 to 64. Despite the overall reduction in fatal incidents, the number of fatal crashes involving a pedestrian doubled from 6 in the prior year to 12 in the current year.
53
▼ -14.5%was 62
Total Crash Events
64
▼ -4.5%was 67
Persons Killed
59
Persons Injured
4
▲ 300.0%was 1
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (64) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (53) 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 · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Overall, fatal crashes in Alaska trended downward between 2019 and 2020. The state saw a 14.5% decrease in fatal crashes, from 62 incidents in 2019 to 53 in 2020. This corresponds with a slight drop in total fatalities from 67 to 64 over the same period.
4
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2020
▲ 300.0% vs prior (1)
Hit-and-run incidents increased significantly in 2020 compared to the prior year. The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes quadrupled from 1 in 2019 to 4 in 2020. Consequently, the rate of hit-and-runs among all fatal crashes rose from 1.6% in 2019 to 7.5% in 2020, indicating an upward trend.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
13
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
49
Motorists Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
1
Cyclists Injured
58
Motorists Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The timing of fatal crashes shifted year-over-year. In 2020, the peak days for fatal crashes were Tuesday and Saturday, each with 11 incidents. This is a change from 2019, when Friday was the clear peak with 17 fatal crashes. The peak hour for fatal crashes in 2020 was midnight (12a) with 7 incidents, which was a shared peak hour in 2019 along with 2 p.m. (also 7 incidents).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
In both 2020 and 2019, the majority of fatal crashes occurred in Clear weather (25 and 33 crashes, respectively) and during Daylight hours (29 and 30 crashes, respectively). The number of fatal crashes in snowy conditions remained relatively stable, with 7 in 2020 compared to 8 in 2019. There was a notable decrease in fatal crashes occurring in Dark - Not Lighted conditions, which fell from 14 in 2019 to 8 in 2020.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
The top three vehicle makes involved in fatal crashes remained consistent across both periods: Ford (15 vehicles in both years), Dodge (10 in 2020 vs. 11 in 2019), and Chevrolet (8 in 2020 vs. 11 in 2019). The age distribution of persons involved showed some shifts; for instance, the 16-20 age group saw a decrease from 21 individuals in 2019 to 14 in 2020, while the 0-15 age group increased from 11 to 17 individuals.
Top Vehicle Makes (81 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
4 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (152 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
There was a shift in the speed zones where fatal crashes occurred. Crashes in 45 mph zones more than doubled, increasing from 6 in 2019 to 14 in 2020. Conversely, fatal crashes in 50 mph zones saw a significant decrease from 12 in 2019 to just 4 in 2020. Crashes in 55 mph zones, the most common speed zone for fatal incidents in both years, decreased slightly from 20 to 18.
Fatal crashes by zone: 20 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 25 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 30 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 35 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 45 mph: 14 of 14 (100%) · 50 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 55 mph: 18 of 18 (100%) · 60 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 65 mph: 6 of 6 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The most common manner of collision in both periods was a single-vehicle crash where the first harmful event was not a collision with another motor vehicle, accounting for 30 of 53 fatal crashes (56.6%) in 2020 and 37 of 62 (59.7%) in 2019. Front-to-front collisions remained stable with 11 incidents in both years. Angle collisions, however, saw a decrease from 13 in 2019 to 8 in 2020.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Light Pickups were the most common vehicle type involved in fatal crashes in both periods, though their involvement decreased from 28 vehicles in 2019 to 17 in 2020. Compact Utility vehicles were the second most common type in both years (13 in 2020 vs. 15 in 2019). The number of motorcycles involved in fatal crashes was stable, with 4 in 2020 and 5 in 2019.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 20 reported. 11 additional (15 total) not shown: Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Voyager, Voyager, Honda-Odyssey, ...), Utility station wagon (includes suburban limousines, Suburban, Travellall, Grand Wagoneer), Off-road Motorcycle, 3-door/2-door hatchback, 5-door/4-door hatchback, 2-door sedan,hardtop,coupe, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Unknown body type.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Fatal crashes occurred more frequently in rural areas in both years. In 2020, there were 29 fatal crashes on rural roads and 24 on urban roads. This is a slight decrease from 2019, which saw 33 rural and 28 urban fatal crashes, but maintains the trend of rural roads having a higher share of fatal incidents.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
The distribution of fatal crashes by road class shifted between periods. In 2020, Interstates saw the most fatal crashes with 19, an increase from 15 in 2019. Conversely, fatal crashes on Principal Arterials dropped significantly from 25 in 2019 to 11 in 2020. Fatal crashes on local and collector roads combined were 15 in 2020, down from 16 in 2019.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
State Highway Agency-owned roadways accounted for the vast majority of fatal crashes in both periods, with 46 incidents in 2020 and 50 in 2019. Fatal crashes on County Highway Agency roads decreased from 8 in 2019 to 3 in 2020, while those on City or Municipal roads increased from 2 to 4 over the same period.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers were the largest group of individuals involved in fatal crashes, though their numbers decreased from 89 in 2019 to 80 in 2020. The number of passengers involved increased from 47 to 57. Most notably, the number of pedestrians involved more than doubled, rising from 6 in 2019 to 13 in 2020, while bicyclists involved remained stable at 3 in 2020 versus 2 in 2019.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
In 2020, out of 153 people involved in fatal crashes, 64 suffered fatal injuries, 23 had serious injuries, and 30 had no injuries. This compares to 2019, where of 147 people involved, 67 were fatally injured, 29 had serious injuries, and 21 were uninjured. The total number of fatalities and serious injuries both saw a decrease year-over-year.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The use of safety equipment among occupants involved in fatal crashes showed a slight improvement. The number of individuals reported as using 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment decreased from 41 in 2019 to 36 in 2020. The use of 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' increased from 71 individuals in 2019 to 76 in 2020.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
Frontal impacts ('12 Clock Point') were the most common point of impact in both years, with an identical count of 47 incidents in 2020 and 2019. The number of 'Non-Collision' events, which often correspond to single-vehicle rollovers or running off the road, decreased from 16 in 2019 to 9 in 2020.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 6 smaller categories (9 records): 8 Clock Point (2), Left (2), Left-Back Side (2), 7 Clock Point (1), Right (1), Top (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle crashes were the most common type of fatal incident in both years, though their frequency decreased from 37 in 2019 to 28 in 2020. The number of two-vehicle fatal crashes remained stable, with 21 in 2020 compared to 22 in 2019. Crashes involving three vehicles were also similar, with 4 in 2020 and 3 in 2019.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31 · 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: 2020-01-01 through 2020-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2020-01-01 through 2020-12-31 (366 days)
- Geographic scope: Alaska
- Total crash records analyzed: 53
- Total persons involved: 153
- Total vehicles involved: 81
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). "Alaska Crash Intelligence Report: 2020." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2020-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/alaska/fatal/statewide/2020-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: 2020-01-01 – 2020-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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