Hit-And-Run Crashes Are Killing More People Than Ever, According To AAA Study

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), one in four pedestrians killed in crashes in 2023 were in a crash where the driver fled the scene. That figure was nearly as high for cyclists, and it's part of an increase in hit-and-run accidents overall. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), 15% of accidents reported to police in 2023 were hit-and-runs. 

The fatal incidents often occur late at night, or early in the morning, when visibility is low, and there aren't any witnesses — making pedestrians and cyclists more vulnerable.

The biggest deterrent to hit-and-run drivers seems to be the knowledge that perpetrators will actually be caught driving at all. AAA notes that 40% of identified hit-and-run drivers were driving without a valid license and over 50% were driving a vehicle that wasn't registered in their name. The organization also described these drivers as "young, male, and crashed within a short distance of their homes." Dr. David Yang, President and Executive Director of the AAAFTS, said:

"While the reasons drivers flee vary, the outcomes are often too severe or fatal and our analysis shows the percentage of this crash type continues to increase during the past several years. Drivers must understand that leaving the scene only compounds the harm. Staying, calling for help, and taking responsibility can save lives."

The hit-and-run data might seem bleak, but the roads are slowly getting better — sort of. The total number of pedestrian deaths has fallen in back-to-back years, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), and pedestrian deaths were down 4.3% in 2024. This is, of course, a silver lining on a very dark cloud. Drivers still struck and killed 7,148 people in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, and 2022 marked a 40-year high for pedestrian deaths in the United States. So even if the numbers are coming down, there's still a lot of room for improvement. 

There are some pretty straightforward ideas being proposed to improve road safety in AAA's report. AAA suggests further adoption of automatic crash notifications on smartphones and through vehicles, as well as safer road designs meant to protect pedestrians. The organization also suggested that the use of traffic cameras could discourage drivers from fleeing the scene of crashes. Whether these changes are implemented will be up to state and local governments, because the federal government simply couldn't care less anymore.