Winter driving affects crash risk, road capacity, maintenance budgets and vehicle performance. The figures below distinguish snow or sleet at crash time, freezing precipitation, icy pavement, broader adverse weather and controlled technical measurements, with geography and periods stated for each result.
Key Winter Driving Statistics
The most broadly useful winter driving figures include:
- In the United States, 744,911 estimated crashes per year occurred in adverse atmospheric weather on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- In the United States, weather-related crashes represented 12% of estimated motor-vehicle crashes on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- In the United States, 268,239 people were estimated to be injured each year in weather-related crashes on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- In the United States, 3,807 people were killed each year in weather-related crashes on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- In the United States, more than 1,300 people were killed annually in crashes associated with snowy, slushy or icy pavement.
- In the United States, nearly 900 people were killed annually when snowfall or sleet was present.
- In the United States, 101,390 police-reported traffic crashes had snow or sleet conditions present in 2023.
- In the United States, 219,942 estimated crashes annually involved freezing precipitation on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- In the United States, about 9% of fatal crashes occurred in adverse atmospheric weather on the 2019–2023 annual average.
- On United States arterials, average speeds declined 30% to 40% on snowy or slushy pavement in the reported FHWA operating range.
- On United States freeways, speeds declined 5% to 40% in heavy snow in the reported FHWA operating range.
- Across the United States road network, snow, ice and fog caused 15% of non-recurring delay in the FHWA road-weather summary.
- State and local agencies in the United States spent more than $4.6 billion annually on snow and ice control operations in the recent FHWA series.
- More than 70% of United States highways were in regions averaging over 5 inches of snowfall annually under FHWA’s regional classification.
- In the NOAA-supported United States winter-fatality study, half of fatalities in the 2008–2019 sample occurred in snow.
- In the same study, 75% of snow-associated fatalities occurred during ongoing snowfall.
- Winter tires with the mountain-and-snowflake symbol provided 25% to 50% better traction than all-season tires in heavy snow in AAA’s technical report.
- AAA research found that average electric-vehicle driving range decreased 41% at 20°F with the heating system on.
- A typical vehicle battery required about 30% more starting power at 32°F according to AAA winter guidance.
Contents
- Winter crash, injury and fatality statistics
- Winter driving crash trends by weather and pavement
- Road speeds, delays and winter maintenance costs
- Fatal winter-weather crash patterns and warnings
- Winter tires and traction data
- Cold-weather batteries and EV range
Winter Crash, Injury and Fatality Statistics
FHWA’s 2019–2023 annual average uses NHTSA data and defines weather-related conditions broadly as adverse atmospheric weather present. It is an estimate, not a count of one winter season.
- The United States averaged 744,911 estimated crashes, 268,239 estimated injured people and 3,807 deaths per year in adverse atmospheric weather. FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
- Weather-related crashes accounted for 12% of estimated motor-vehicle crashes, while about 9% of fatal crashes and 11% of estimated injury crashes occurred in adverse atmospheric weather. FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
- More than 550,000 estimated property-damage-only crashes occurred annually in adverse atmospheric weather, representing about 13% of estimated property-damage-only crashes. FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
A separate FHWA summary isolates pavement and weather conditions differently, so its values should not be added to the broader weather totals.
| Winter-related measure | Annual United States estimate | Definition or period |
|---|---|---|
| Snowy, slushy or icy pavement deaths | More than 1,300 | Pavement condition; annual average |
| Snowy, slushy or icy pavement injuries | More than 116,800 | Pavement condition; annual average |
| Snowfall or sleet deaths | Nearly 900 | Weather at crash; annual average |
| Snowfall or sleet injuries | Nearly 76,000 | Weather at crash; annual average |
Source: FHWA, “Snow and Ice”. These grouped measures are not limited to active snowfall and are not interchangeable.
Winter Driving Crash Trends by Weather and Pavement
NHTSA’s 2023 figures show the scale of crashes when snow or sleet was recorded at the time of the crash. The condition does not establish that snow or sleet caused every reported crash.
- In 2023, 320 fatal traffic crashes occurred with snow or sleet conditions present in the United States.
- Snow or sleet conditions were present in an estimated 22,293 injury crashes and 101,390 police-reported traffic crashes in the United States in 2023. NHTSA, “Winter Weather Driving Tips: Prepare Your Vehicle”
The 2019–2023 FHWA series also separates freezing precipitation and low visibility. Freezing precipitation includes snow, sleet, hail, and freezing rain or drizzle, while low visibility includes fog, smog, smoke, and blowing snow, sand or dust.
| Condition | Estimated crashes | Injured people | Deaths | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freezing precipitation | 219,942 | 34,206 | 407 | 2019–2023 annual average |
| Low visibility | 32,871 | 11,292 | 488 | 2019–2023 annual average |
| Rain or mist | 574,047 | 219,039 | 2,810 | 2019–2023 annual average |
Source: FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”. Rain or mist is included as a comparison category and is not winter-only.
Road Speeds, Delays and Winter Maintenance Costs
Winter conditions affect both how quickly vehicles move and how much public agencies spend keeping roads usable. The FHWA operating ranges below describe observed roadway impacts rather than national annual averages.
- Average arterial speeds declined 30% to 40% on snowy or slushy pavement.
- Freeway speeds declined 3% to 13% in light snow and 5% to 40% in heavy snow. FHWA, “Snow and Ice”
- Snow, ice and fog caused 15% of non-recurring delay in the FHWA road-weather summary. FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
Freight exposure makes these delays economically significant. The measures below cover broader adverse weather, not snow alone.
- Trucking companies lost an estimated 32.6 billion vehicle-hours annually to weather-related congestion across 281 United States metropolitan areas.
- Adverse weather affected freight traffic 4.6% of the time nationally on average.
- Nearly 12% of total estimated truck delay was weather-related in the 20 United States cities with the greatest truck-traffic volume. FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
Winter exposure is widespread: more than 70% of United States highways and nearly 70% of the United States population were in regions averaging over 5 inches of snowfall annually under FHWA’s regional classification. State and local agencies spent more than $4.6 billion annually on snow and ice control operations, while winter road maintenance accounted for more than 24% of state DOT highway and traffic-service budgets in the recent FHWA series. FHWA, “Snow and Ice”; FHWA, “How Do Weather Events Affect Roads?”
Fatal Winter-Weather Crash Patterns and Warnings
A NOAA-supported, peer-reviewed study matched United States motor-vehicle fatalities to nearby weather reports from 2008–2019. Its approximately 1,000 winter-weather roadway fatalities annually is a study-summary estimate, and its percentages describe only the matched sample.
- Half of fatalities in the 2008–2019 winter-weather sample occurred in snow.
- Among fatalities occurring in snow, 75% occurred during ongoing snowfall.
- Among fatalities during freezing precipitation, 41% occurred near the onset of the precipitation.
- Weather conditions deteriorated before 42% of studied fatalities, primarily through visibility reductions of at least 25%. NOAA Institutional Repository, “Weather conditions and messaging associated with fatal winter-weather-related motor-vehicle crashes”
These findings describe timing and conditions around fatal crashes, not a nationwide estimate of causation or the effectiveness of a particular warning message.
Winter Tires and Traction Data
AAA’s technical report treats tire performance as dependent on tire model, test method and conditions. The mountain-and-snowflake symbol identifies the winter-tire category discussed in the report.
- Winter tires with the mountain-and-snowflake symbol can provide 25% to 50% better traction than all-season tires in heavy snow.
- AAA recommends winter tires in areas with frequent storms and temperatures below 45°F for extended periods; that threshold is guidance, not a measured crash-risk cutoff.
- Aggressive high-performance tire models can have tread lives below 10,000 miles, a figure that applies to the most aggressive models rather than winter tires generally. AAA, “AAA All-Season Tire Testing”
The traction range is a performance estimate, not a nationwide driver survey. Actual grip varies with the vehicle, tire, road surface, snow depth and maintenance.
Cold-Weather Vehicle Batteries and EV Range
Cold weather changes tire pressure, engine-starting demand and electric-vehicle range. AAA’s figures are technical guidance or controlled research results, not a nationwide survey of drivers.
- Tires lose about 1 psi for every 10°F drop in air temperature and normally lose about 1 psi per month from air loss. AAA Northeast, “Arctic Outbreak to Bring Frigid Conditions That Can Wreak Havoc on Vehicles”
- AAA research found average EV driving range decreased 41% at 20°F with the heating system on. AAA also says an EV reserves about 15% to 20% of charge capacity to heat its battery. AAA Northeast, “Arctic Outbreak to Bring Frigid Conditions That Can Wreak Havoc on Vehicles”
- A typical vehicle battery requires about 30% more starting power at 32°F, and a vehicle battery can lose up to 50% of its capacity near 0°F.
- A fully charged battery normally does not freeze until temperatures fall below −76°F, while a fully discharged battery can freeze at about 32°F. AAA Northeast, “AAA Offers Tips to Avoid Getting Caught With a Dead Battery This Winter”
Battery-freezing thresholds depend on state of charge and electrolyte condition, while starting demand depends on battery age, vehicle design and oil viscosity. EV range likewise varies by model, route, temperature and heating strategy, so the 41% result should be read as an average under the specified research condition.