Night Driving Now Causes Most Traffic Deaths in America’s Largest States — New Analysis Warns Pandemic-Era Behaviors Are Still Killing Drivers

A new traffic safety investigation from Omega Law Group reveals a trend that should alarm anyone who drives after dark: nighttime driving has quietly become the most dangerous time to be on U.S. roads — and the problem is getting worse, not better.

Across the five most populated states — California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania — 58% of all traffic deaths between 2019 and 2023 happened at night, even though Americans log far fewer miles after sunset.

Put simply: night driving is killing more people than daytime driving in every major state, and the risk hasn’t dropped even as overall mileage has.

A Deadly Pattern That Hasn’t Recovered Since COVID

Omega’s analysis covers pre-pandemic, lockdown, and post-pandemic driving behavior. The overall finding: the risk of dying at night has remained stubbornly high, even as daily life returned to normal.

Between 2019 and 2023, the five states recorded:

• 40,353 nighttime deaths

• 29,182 daytime deaths

The deadliest year was 2021, with 8,852 nighttime fatalities, coinciding with the national surge in speeding, drunk driving, and reckless behavior that began during lockdowns.

A spokesperson for Omega Law Group put it bluntly:

“People think night driving is just daytime driving with headlights on. The data shows the opposite. Darkness, alcohol, fatigue, and higher speeds create a completely different — and far deadlier — environment.”

Pandemic-Era Driving Habits Never Went Away

In 2020, Americans drove 11% fewer miles, thanks to shutdowns and remote work.

But instead of fewer deaths, fatal crashes increased:

• 2019: 11,544 fatal crashes

• 2020: 12,310

• 2021: 13,970 (peak)

Nighttime deaths rose right alongside them.

With emptier roads, drivers took more risks:

• More speeding

• More impaired driving

• Less seatbelt use

• More distraction

And by 2023, even though fatal crashes dipped slightly to 12,950, they were still 12.2% higher than before the pandemic.

Why Nighttime Is So Deadly: The Triple Threat

Omega Law Group identifies three factors that make nighttime driving dramatically more dangerous — especially in the biggest states.

1. Alcohol

• 32% of fatalities involved a driver with a BAC over .08

• Alcohol-related deaths rose 34% between 2019 and 2023

• Most occurred late at night

2. Speeding

Speeding deaths jumped:

• From 3,237 in 2019

• To 4,474 in 2021 (+38%)

California and Texas dominate the speeding death counts, especially on high-speed highways after dark.

3. Distraction

Distracted-driving deaths have climbed steadily:

• 946 in 2019

• 1,106 in 2022

• 1,018 in 2023

Texas leads the nation among the five major states every year.

An Omega Law spokesperson summed it up:

“At night, every risky behavior becomes twice as dangerous. A tired driver glancing at their phone for one second can cause a fatal crash.”

The Most At-Risk Drivers: A Clear Profile Emerges

Two groups show up again and again in nighttime fatality data:

Ages 25–44

Drivers aged 25–34 top the charts in alcohol, speeding, and distracted-driving deaths. Add in ages 35–44, and this middle-adult band represents the majority of risky nighttime fatalities.

Men

The gender gap is stark:

• 73% of all deaths (50,973 out of 69,944) were male

This reflects the long-standing pattern that men take more risks behind the wheel — especially at night.

Omega Law Group: Nighttime Deaths Are Preventable, Not “Bad Luck”

The firm emphasizes that most nighttime crashes are tied to fixable behaviors. Their recommendations include:

• Avoid late-night trips after drinking — even if you “feel fine”

• Slow down at night, even on familiar roads

• Put phones and screens completely out of reach

• Plan safe transportation before going out (rideshare, taxi, designated driver)

Omega’s statement is blunt:

“Night crashes aren’t random. They happen because people underestimate how dangerous nighttime driving actually is. If drivers changed just a few habits, thousands of lives could be saved every year.”