Nighttime Driving Now Linked to Majority of Fatal Crashes Across America’s Largest States, Omega Law Group Reports

A new analysis from Omega Law Group has uncovered a striking and persistent threat on U.S. roads: nighttime driving now accounts for the majority of traffic deaths across the five most populous states. Between 2019 and 2023, 58% of all traffic fatalities in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania occurred after sunset, despite the fact that far fewer miles are driven at night.

The whitepaper reveals that while overall traffic volume remains slightly below pre-pandemic levels, the risks associated with nighttime travel have not improved — and in some areas, have worsened.

Across these five states, nighttime collisions caused 40,353 deaths, compared to 29,182 daytime fatalities over the same period. The deadliest year for nighttime crashes was 2021, when 8,852 people were killed. This coincided with a broader surge in risky driving behaviours that emerged during and after the COVID-19 shutdowns.

According to Omega Law Group, the findings show that night driving is not simply “daytime driving with low light,” but a fundamentally more dangerous environment defined by reduced visibility, fatigue, higher rates of impairment, and elevated speeds.

Pandemic-Era Driving Habits Haven’t Gone Away

The new report also examines how the pandemic reshaped highway safety trends. In 2020, national vehicle miles travelled dropped 11%, falling from 3.26 trillion miles in 2019 to 2.9 trillion in 2020 as lockdowns and remote work slashed commuting traffic.

Yet fatal crashes went up, not down.

11,544 fatal crashes in 2019
12,310 in 2020
13,970 in 2021 (the peak)

Nighttime fatalities rose in parallel, suggesting that emptier roads encouraged more speeding, more impaired driving, and lower restraint use — especially after dark.

By 2023, crash totals had eased to 12,950, but still sat 12.2% higher than 2019, confirming that many of the high-risk behaviours adopted during the pandemic have continued.

Key Behaviours Driving Fatal Crashes After Dark

Omega Law Group’s analysis highlights three core factors behind the rise in nighttime deaths: alcohol, speeding, and distraction.

Alcohol Impairment

Alcohol remains one of the strongest predictors of nighttime fatalities:

32% of all traffic deaths involved a BAC above .08
Alcohol-related deaths increased from 4,353 in 2019 to 5,833 in 2023 — a 34% rise

Most occurred during evening and nighttime hours.

Speeding

Speed-specific fatalities surged during the pandemic and stayed high:

3,237 speed-related deaths in 2019
4,474 in 2021 — a 38% increase

Texas and California consistently reported the largest number of speeding deaths, particularly on high-speed rural corridors and interstates at night.

Distracted Driving

Distraction-related fatalities also remain elevated:

946 deaths in 2019
1,106 in 2022
Slight drop to 1,018 in 2023

Texas recorded the most distracted-driving deaths each year studied.

Omega Law Group notes that limited visibility intensifies the impact of every bad driving habit. At night, even momentary errors — glancing at a phone, rushing through a late drive, or misjudging distance — can have catastrophic consequences.

Who Is Most at Risk on Nighttime Roads?

The data shows that drivers aged 25–34 are the most involved in fatal crashes linked to alcohol, speeding, and distraction. Together with drivers aged 35–44, this age group accounts for the majority of dangerous-behaviour-related nighttime deaths.

Gender differences are also pronounced:

Of 69,944 total fatalities in the study,
73% (50,973) were male

This aligns with long-standing research indicating that men engage in more high-risk driving behaviours, particularly during nighttime hours.

Reducing Nighttime Fatalities: What Works?

The Omega Law whitepaper reinforces the importance of targeted nighttime safety campaigns. While long-standing messages about impaired driving and phone use remain vital, the report stresses that the risk is not evenly distributed across the day — it intensifies sharply after dark.

Effective steps include:

Avoiding late-night driving after consuming alcohol
Reducing speed, especially on highways and rural roads
Eliminating phone use entirely while driving
Planning transportation in advance when drinking is involved
Recognising fatigue as a major nighttime risk factor

As an Omega Law Group spokesperson noted, “Nighttime crashes aren’t unpredictable accidents. They are overwhelmingly preventable and often tied to the same behaviours we already know are dangerous — but the risks become far more severe after dark.”