Fatal car crashes in Detroit, Michigan
From 2020 through 2024, 699 people died in 650 crashes on streets and highways inside Detroit, Michigan.
That is 21.7 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the Michigan rate of 10.9 and above the US rate of 12.1.
I-96 (Local) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 36, killing 42.
Hit-and-runs made up 22% of fatal crashes here, against 7% statewide.
In 2024, 105 people were killed, 45% fewer than in 2020 (191).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 645,705 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (650 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Michigan 10.9, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 26% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Wayne County; the dots are crashes inside Detroit city limits.
The deadliest roads in Detroit
I-96 (Local) leads with 36 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-96 Local | 36 | 42 |
| 2 | SR-3 Gratiot Ave | 35 | 37 |
| 3 | I-94 212C Ramp | 29 | 32 |
| 4 | SR-10 Ramp 105A | 25 | 27 |
| 5 | SR-102 8 Mile Rd | 25 | 26 |
| 6 | I-75 Cd/Ramp 037E | 21 | 23 |
| 7 | 7 Mile Rd | 12 | 12 |
| 8 | Livernois Ave | 12 | 12 |
| 9 | SR-1 Woodward Ave | 12 | 12 |
| 10 | SR-39 Southfield Fwy | 12 | 12 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
66% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 1 am to 2 am.
Sunday had the most fatal crashes (135), and 39% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, August was the worst (83 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Detroit, next to Michigan and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Detroit | Share | Michigan | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 231 | 36% | 26% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 135 | 21% | 28% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 29 | 4% | 9% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 145 | 22% | 7% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 182 | 26% | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 106 | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 20 | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 32 | 5% | 6% | 7% |
After a crash in Detroit
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Detroit Police Department.
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Get the crash report
Statewide copies come from Michigan State Police (MSP) Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, through the Traffic Crash Purchasing System (TCPS, MiLogin account required), cost $15.00 per report and are usually ready Typical processing is 3-30 days from the crash, depending on the reporting agency (no mandatory timeframe). Reports can be bought for up to 10 years after the crash..
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Know your deadline
Michigan gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805(2)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: To recover for injuries from a defective highway you must serve written notice on the governmental agency within 120 days of the injury (filed with the Court of Claims for state roads); the notice must state the exact location and nature of the defect, the injury, and known witnesses.
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Who pays
Michigan is a no-fault state: your own personal injury protection (PIP) pays first, with at least Choice of PIP medical coverage levels for policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020: unlimited, $500,000, $250,000, or $50,000 (Medicaid enrollees only); other options and exceptions (MCL 500.3107d, 3109a) were not read required, and you can sue the other driver only past the state's threshold. Give your auto insurer written notice of the injury within 1 year of the crash, or you can lose the right to sue for PIP benefits (and benefits more than 1 year before you file are not recoverable).
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If you were partly at fault
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and in a crash case you cannot recover noneconomic damages (pain and suffering) if you are more than 50% at fault; under MCL 600.2959 economic damages are still reduced rather than barred.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Michigan is $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (50/100/10).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Michigan. Both take under a minute.
County around Detroit
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 1,066 | 12.0 | 265 | 1,771,063 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.