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 · RHODE ISLAND · 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/rhode-island/fatal/statewide/2023-annual-report
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
67 CRASHES IN
RHODE ISLAND
2023
In 2023, Rhode Island experienced 67 fatal crashes, an increase of 31.4% compared to 51 fatal crashes in 2022. The number of fatalities also rose by 36.5%, from 52 in 2022 to 71 in 2023. The most notable year-over-year shift is the significant increase in both fatal crashes and fatalities.
67
▲ 31.4%was 51
Total Crash Events
71
▲ 36.5%was 52
Persons Killed
40
▲ 37.9%was 29
Persons Injured
7
▲ 75.0%was 4
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (71) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (67) 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
The overall trend indicates a notable increase in traffic fatalities in Rhode Island year-over-year. Fatal crashes rose from 51 in 2022 to 67 in 2023, representing a 31.4% increase. Correspondingly, the number of fatalities increased by 36.5%, from 52 in 2022 to 71 in 2023.
7
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▲ 75.0% vs prior (4)
Hit-and-run fatal crashes increased from 4 in 2022 to 7 in 2023. The hit-and-run rate also rose from 7.8% of fatal crashes in 2022 to 10.4% in 2023, indicating an upward trend.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
11
Pedestrians Killed
2
Cyclists Killed
57
Motorists Killed
1
Other Killed
1
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
37
Motorists Injured
2
Other 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 shifted from Saturday in 2022, with 13 incidents, to Sunday in 2023, with 14 incidents. The peak hour for fatal crashes also changed, moving from 4 p.m. in 2022, with 6 incidents, to 7 p.m. in 2023, with 7 incidents. These shifts suggest a change in the temporal patterns of 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 occurring in clear weather increased from 41 in 2022 to 58 in 2023, while crashes in rain decreased from 5 to 4. Fatal crashes in daylight conditions increased from 23 in 2022 to 30 in 2023. Crashes in dark but lighted conditions also saw a significant rise from 15 in 2022 to 27 in 2023, whereas crashes in dark and unlighted conditions decreased from 9 to 7.
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
Honda vehicles involved in fatal crashes increased from 6 in 2022 to 14 in 2023, while Ford vehicles increased from 9 to 12. Toyota vehicles also saw an increase from 5 to 9. Regarding persons involved, the 65+ age group experienced a substantial increase in representation, from 9 persons in 2022 to 29 in 2023, while the 0-15 age group decreased from 4 to 2 persons.
Top Vehicle Makes (89 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
2 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (125 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
Fatal crashes in 25 mph speed zones increased from 20 in 2022 to 30 in 2023, and those in 35 mph zones increased from 6 to 13. Conversely, crashes in 50 mph zones decreased from 6 to 4, and 65 mph zones decreased from 4 to 2. This indicates a shift in fatal crashes towards lower posted speed limits.
Fatal crashes by zone: 25 mph: 30 of 30 (100%) · 30 mph: 3 of 3 (100%) · 35 mph: 13 of 13 (100%) · 40 mph: 2 of 2 (100%) · 45 mph: 7 of 7 (100%) · 50 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 55 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 65 mph: 2 of 2 (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 collision in both periods was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport', accounting for 48 fatal crashes in 2023 and 37 in 2022. Front-to-Front fatal crashes increased from 3 in 2022 to 9 in 2023. Angle fatal crashes decreased slightly from 7 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
The most common vehicle body type in fatal crashes was '4-door sedan, hardtop', increasing from 23 in 2022 to 33 in 2023. 'Two Wheel Motorcycle' fatal crashes increased from 9 in 2022 to 13 in 2023, representing a notable share. 'Compact Utility' vehicles decreased from 14 in 2022 to 12 in 2023.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 17 reported. 8 additional (10 total) not shown: Off-road Motorcycle, Truck-tractor (Cab only, or with any number of trailing unit; any weight), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), 5-door/4-door hatchback, Motor Scooter, 3-door/2-door hatchback, Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Rural vs Urban
Fatal crashes in urban areas increased from 38 in 2022 to 57 in 2023, while those in rural areas decreased from 13 to 9. The share of rural fatal crashes decreased from 25.5% in 2022 to 13.6% in 2023. While rural roads often carry a disproportionate share of fatalities, the urban share increased significantly year-over-year.
Rural vs Urban
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Functional Class
In 2023, 'Other Principal Arterial' roads accounted for 25 fatal crashes, up from 19 in 2022. 'Minor Arterial' roads saw a significant increase from 6 fatal crashes in 2022 to 16 in 2023. Conversely, fatal crashes on 'Interstate' roads decreased from 10 in 2022 to 6 in 2023, indicating a shift in fatal crash locations to arterial roadways.
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 State Highway Agency-owned roads increased from 38 in 2022 to 45 in 2023. City or Municipal Highway Agency-owned roads saw a substantial increase from 7 fatal crashes in 2022 to 15 in 2023. Fatal crashes on Town or Township Highway Agency-owned roads remained stable at 6 in both years.
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, increasing from 70 in 2022 to 89 in 2023. Pedestrians involved in fatal crashes increased from 7 in 2022 to 12 in 2023. Additionally, bicyclists involved in fatal crashes increased from 0 in 2022 to 2 in 2023, representing a new vulnerable user group in the current period's data.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
The number of fatal injuries (K) increased from 52 in 2022 to 71 in 2023. Serious injuries (A) decreased from 13 to 6, while possible injuries (C) increased significantly from 5 to 18. Minor injuries (B) also rose from 7 to 9, and unspecified injuries (U) increased from 4 to 7.
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 use of 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' in fatal crashes increased slightly from 47 persons in 2022 to 49 in 2023. However, the number of persons with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment rose from 35 in 2022 to 44 in 2023. This indicates an increase in the number of persons involved in fatal crashes who were not using safety restraints.
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 dominant point of impact was the '12 Clock Point' (front), which increased from 37 instances in 2022 to 65 in 2023. Impacts at the '11 Clock Point' decreased from 12 in 2022 to 2 in 2023. 'Non-Collision' events also slightly decreased from 3 in 2022 to 2 in 2023.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 6 smaller categories (10 records): 10 Clock Point (2), 11 Clock Point (2), Non-Collision (2), Reported as Unknown (2), Left (1), Right (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 increased from 36 in 2022 to 44 in 2023, representing 65.7% of fatal crashes in 2023. Two-vehicle fatal crashes also saw a rise from 11 in 2022 to 20 in 2023. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles decreased from 4 in 2022 to 3 in 2023.
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: Rhode Island
- Total crash records analyzed: 67
- Total persons involved: 128
- Total vehicles involved: 89
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). "Rhode Island 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/rhode-island/fatal/statewide/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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