Which States Have the Most Fatal Hit-and-Run Crashes? New National Analysis Exposes a Deep Geographic Divide

A new nationwide study from the Law Offices of James A. Welcome reveals sharp differences in fatal hit-and-run crash rates across the United States — and the results show a clear divide between densely populated, high-traffic states and more rural regions.

Between 2019 and 2023, the U.S. recorded 186,283 fatal motor vehicle crashes. Of these, 13,001 involved a hit-and-run driver, meaning 7% of all fatal crashes nationally now involve a driver who fled the scene.

But while the national average sits at 7%, individual state rates diverge dramatically — ranging from 11.3% in California to just 0.6% in Maine.

California Leads All States in Fatal Hit-and-Run Rates

California recorded 2,178 fatal hit-and-run crashes during the study period — the highest number in the country and the highest percentage at 11.3%.

This places the state 4.3 percentage points above the national average, underscoring long-standing concerns around roadway density, congestion, and pedestrian exposure in some of the nation’s busiest urban regions.

Nevada (9.8%) and New Jersey (9.7%) round out the top three, marking a strong concentration of elevated hit-and-run rates in urbanized West Coast and Northeast states.

States With the Highest Hit-and-Run Percentages (2019–2023)

The common factor among the highest-ranking states: large metro populations and high mixed-use travel environments, where pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle interactions are more frequent and road networks are more complex.

The Urban Effect: Why Metropolitan States Rank Higher

While the study does not attribute causation to a single factor, several patterns emerge:

More Density, More Exposure

Metropolitan states have higher volumes of:

• pedestrians

• multi-lane intersections

• congested corridors

• rideshare, delivery, and gig mobility traffic

This creates more potential conflict points between drivers and vulnerable road users.

Greater Anonymity

In urban settings, drivers may feel they can leave a scene without immediate identification — especially in areas with:

• high traffic turnover

• limited eyewitness visibility

• inconsistent camera coverage

Complex Road Networks

Regions with multiple ramps, arterials, one-way systems, and dense grid layouts may increase the likelihood of a driver fleeing a crash undetected.

Taken together, these conditions consistently appear in the states with the highest hit-and-run percentages.

States With the Lowest Hit-and-Run Rates

At the bottom of the rankings, rural and low-density states show far lower fatal hit-and-run percentages:

• Maine — 0.6%

• New Hampshire — 1.1%

• Iowa — 1.4%

• Wyoming — 1.4%

• Idaho — 1.4%

In these states, crashes often occur on open rural roadways where there is greater visibility, fewer vehicles, and less opportunity for a driver to flee without detection.

What the North–South & East–West Splits Suggest

The national map reveals several regional patterns:

Higher Rates

• West Coast

• Southwest

• Northeast Metro Corridor

• Parts of the Mid-Atlantic

Lower Rates

• New England (rural states)

• Midwest

• Mountain West

This suggests that urbanization — rather than regional culture or state laws — is the strongest predictor of fatal hit-and-run behavior.

A Nationwide Challenge With Uneven Impact

While fatal hit-and-runs represent a smaller share of total roadway deaths compared to speeding or impaired driving, the issue carries heightened public concern because it reflects:

• failures in driver accountability

• enforcement gaps

• insufficient witness visibility

• limited camera and ALPR coverage

• rising pedestrian vulnerability in major cities

As mobility patterns continue to shift — with more delivery vehicles, more multimodal travel, and increasing roadway complexity — the challenge of identifying fleeing drivers may grow unless states expand detection technologies and redesign high-risk corridors.

The Bottom Line

The new state-by-state breakdown highlights a deep geographic divide in fatal hit-and-run rates. While the national average sits at 7%, the difference between California’s 11.3% and Maine’s 0.6% illustrates how dramatically risk varies by environment.

As U.S. cities continue to grow and mobility ecosystems evolve, states with large urban footprints may see hit-and-run rates climb further — unless safety infrastructure, detection systems, and enforcement strategies keep pace with changing travel behavior.