Fatal Crash Data

Fatal crashes in the United States in 1975

In 1975, 44,525 people died in 39,161 fatal crashes on US roads. That is about 122 deaths a day. In 1976, deaths rose to 45,523, 2.2% more than in 1975.

1976 · All states today.

US road deaths since 1975, with 1975 marked

10k20k30k40k50k198019902000201020241979: 51,0931975: 44,5252024: 39,254

Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.

Road deaths by state in 1975

California, Texas and New York together had 22% of the deaths.

StateDeaths, 1975Fatal crashesChange on 1974
1California4,0923,667No data
2Texas3,3722,892No data
3New York2,3662,123No data
4Pennsylvania2,0781,870No data
5Illinois2,0411,823No data
6Florida1,9981,782No data
7Michigan1,7791,584No data
8Ohio1,7661,593No data
9North Carolina1,5061,343No data
10Georgia1,3601,170No data
11Indiana1,128976No data
12Tennessee1,126987No data
13Missouri1,045896No data
14New Jersey1,043923No data
15Virginia993867No data
16Louisiana934813No data
17Wisconsin930806No data
18Alabama902765No data
19Massachusetts864788No data
20Kentucky863751No data
21South Carolina820711No data
22Washington758668No data
23Oklahoma757653No data
24Minnesota754665No data
25Arizona670593No data
26Iowa670575No data
27Maryland670598No data
28Colorado581507No data
29Oregon562502No data
30Arkansas559475No data
31New Mexico555466No data
32Mississippi546483No data
33Kansas509433No data
34West Virginia461401No data
35Connecticut389358No data
36Nebraska369317No data
37Montana291241No data
38Idaho281235No data
39Utah272243No data
40Maine223200No data
41Nevada218190No data
42Wyoming210172No data
43South Dakota195160No data
44North Dakota167137No data
45New Hampshire151138No data
46Hawaii144129No data
47Vermont143119No data
48Delaware122105No data
49Alaska11298No data
50Rhode Island110100No data
51District of Columbia7070No data

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count

Download every state in every year as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/1975/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”

Rates per 100,000 residents are given for 2015 onward, the years the site holds population estimates for.

Questions about US road deaths in 1975

How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1975?
44,525 people died in 39,161 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1975. That is about 122 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
Which state had the most road deaths in 1975?
California, with 4,092 deaths in 3,667 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,372 and New York third with 2,366.
Is 1975 the latest year available?
No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1975 figures are final.

Where the 1975 numbers come from

Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1975, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1975 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.