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.
If someone you love is part of this data, call us.
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YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · ALASKA · 2021
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/2021-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
62 CRASHES IN
ALASKA
2021
In 2021, Alaska recorded 62 fatal crashes, a 17% increase from the 53 fatal crashes reported in 2020. These crashes resulted in 70 fatalities in 2021, up from 64 in the prior year. The most notable year-over-year change was a 71.4% increase in fatal crashes involving a driver under the influence (DUI), which rose from 14 to 24 incidents.
62
▲ 17.0%was 53
Total Crash Events
70
▲ 9.4%was 64
Persons Killed
60
▲ 1.7%was 59
Persons Injured
8
▲ 100.0%was 4
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (70) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (62) 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 · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Overall, the trend in fatal crashes is rising year-over-year. The state saw a 17% increase in fatal crash events, from 53 in 2020 to 62 in 2021. The number of people killed in these crashes also increased by 9.4%, from 64 to 70.
8
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2021
▲ 100.0% vs prior (4)
Fatal hit-and-run crashes doubled from 4 incidents in 2020 to 8 in 2021. Consequently, the rate of fatal crashes classified as hit-and-run increased significantly, rising from 7.5% of all fatal crashes in 2020 to 12.9% in 2021.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
17
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
50
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
0
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
60
Motorists Injured
0
Other Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · 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 showed some consistency and some shifts between the two periods. Saturday remained the deadliest day of the week, with crash counts rising from 11 in 2020 to 13 in 2021. The peak hour for fatal crashes was unchanged at midnight (12 a.m.) in both years, with 7 incidents recorded in each period. However, the month with the most fatal crashes shifted from September (9 crashes) in 2020 to July (9 crashes) in 2021.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Fatal crashes occurred most frequently in clear weather in both periods, accounting for 32 of 62 crashes in 2021 and 25 of 53 in 2020. There was a significant shift in lighting conditions, with the proportion of fatal crashes in daylight decreasing from 54.7% in 2020 to 41.9% in 2021. Correspondingly, fatal crashes in dark conditions increased, with those on lighted roads rising from 10 to 18 incidents and those on unlighted roads increasing from 8 to 13.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge were the most common vehicle makes involved in fatal crashes across both years. The number of Fords involved increased from 15 in 2020 to 20 in 2021, while Chevrolet involvement grew from 8 to 10. The age distribution of persons involved remained consistent, with the 26-34 and 35-44 age groups being the most represented in both periods.
Top Vehicle Makes (96 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
5 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (186 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
The distribution of fatal crashes across speed zones remained similar year-over-year. The 55 mph and 45 mph zones were the most frequent sites for fatal crashes in both 2020 and 2021, with counts increasing slightly from 18 to 19 and 14 to 15, respectively. Fatal crashes in 25 mph zones saw a notable increase, rising from 4 incidents in 2020 to 7 in 2021.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 20 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 25 mph: 7 of 7 (100%) · 30 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 35 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 40 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 45 mph: 15 of 15 (100%) · 50 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 55 mph: 19 of 19 (100%) · 65 mph: 5 of 5 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
In both periods, the most common manner of collision was categorized as 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport,' which includes single-vehicle rollovers and collisions with pedestrians or fixed objects. This category accounted for 35 of 62 fatal crashes (56.5%) in 2021, compared to 30 of 53 (56.6%) in 2020, showing a stable proportion. Angle collisions increased from 8 to 12 year-over-year, while front-to-front collisions decreased slightly from 11 to 10.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
Light pickups and compact utility vehicles were the most common vehicle types in fatal crashes in both years. The number of light pickups involved rose from 17 in 2020 to 24 in 2021, while compact utilities increased from 13 to 21. The involvement of motorcycles in fatal crashes increased from 4 to 6 vehicles. In contrast, the number of large trucks involved decreased from 8 in 2020 to 5 in 2021.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 18 reported. 9 additional (11 total) not shown: Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), 2-door sedan,hardtop,coupe, Utility station wagon (includes suburban limousines, Suburban, Travellall, Grand Wagoneer), Medium/heavy Pickup (GVWR greater than 10,000 lbs.), Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Voyager, Voyager, Honda-Odyssey, ...), Moped or motorized bicycle, Off-road Motorcycle, Snowmobile, Truck-tractor (Cab only, or with any number of trailing unit; any weight).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
In 2021, fatal crashes were evenly split between rural and urban areas, with 31 incidents occurring in each. This marked a change from 2020, when there were 29 fatal crashes in rural areas and 24 in urban settings. The number of fatal crashes in urban locations increased by 7 incidents year-over-year, while rural fatal crashes saw a smaller increase of 2 incidents.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
In 2021, Principal Arterials were the site of the most fatal crashes (19), a notable increase from 11 in 2020. Conversely, fatal crashes on Interstates, which were the top category in 2020 with 19 incidents, decreased to 16 in 2021. Fatal crashes on local roads increased from 6 in 2020 to 10 in 2021, indicating a shift in crash locations toward arterial and local road systems.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
Roadways under the jurisdiction of the State Highway Agency accounted for the vast majority of fatal crashes in both periods. The number of fatal crashes on state-owned roads increased from 46 in 2020 to 51 in 2021. Fatal crashes on county-owned roads doubled from 3 to 6, while those on city or municipal roads increased slightly from 4 to 5.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers were the largest group of individuals involved in fatal crashes, with their numbers increasing from 80 in 2020 to 94 in 2021. The number of passengers involved also rose from 57 to 70. There was an increase in pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, from 13 in 2020 to 17 in 2021, while bicyclist involvement decreased from 3 to 2.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
The total number of fatalities from crashes increased from 64 in 2020 to 70 in 2021. The count of non-fatally injured persons remained stable, with 60 individuals injured in 2021 compared to 59 in 2020. A notable change was the number of uninjured persons involved in these fatal incidents, which nearly doubled from 30 in 2020 to 57 in 2021.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
The number of vehicle occupants reported as using a shoulder and lap belt increased from 76 in 2020 to 89 in 2021. The count of individuals with 'None Used/Not Applicable' remained constant at 36 for both years; this category includes non-occupants like pedestrians as well as unrestrained occupants. The number of cases where safety equipment use was unknown increased from 17 to 33.
Occupant Safety Equipment
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
Frontal impacts ('12 Clock Point') were the most frequent initial point of impact for vehicles in fatal crashes during both periods. The number of vehicles with frontal impacts increased from 47 in 2020 to 52 in 2021. Vehicles involved in a 'Non-Collision' event, such as a rollover, decreased from 9 to 6 year-over-year.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 9 smaller categories (13 records): Undercarriage (3), 10 Clock Point (2), Left (2), 3 Clock Point (1), Reported as Unknown (1), Left-Back Side (1), Right-Back Side (1), Right-Front Side (1), Left-Front Side (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle incidents were the most common type of fatal crash in both years, increasing from 28 crashes in 2020 to 34 in 2021. The number of two-vehicle fatal crashes was nearly unchanged, with 22 in 2021 compared to 21 in the prior year. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles also saw a small increase from 4 to 5.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31 · 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: 2021-01-01 through 2021-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2021-01-01 through 2021-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Alaska
- Total crash records analyzed: 62
- Total persons involved: 187
- Total vehicles involved: 96
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: 2021." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2021-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/alaska/fatal/statewide/2021-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: 2021-01-01 – 2021-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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