Fatal crashes in the United States in 1976
In 1976, 45,523 people died in 39,747 fatal crashes on US roads, 2.2% more than in 1975. That is about 124 deaths a day. In 1977, deaths rose to 47,878, 5.2% more than in 1976.
1975 · 1977 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1976 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1976
California, Texas and New York together had 22% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 31 states and fell in 19 on the year before; the largest change was in Vermont, 21% down.
| State | Deaths, 1976 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1975 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,395 | 3,895 | +7.4% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,172 | 2,730 | -5.9% |
| 3 | New York | 2,291 | 2,062 | -3.2% |
| 4 | Illinois | 2,031 | 1,781 | -0.5% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,021 | 1,789 | -2.7% |
| 6 | Florida | 1,956 | 1,711 | -2.1% |
| 7 | Michigan | 1,924 | 1,707 | +8.2% |
| 8 | Ohio | 1,893 | 1,669 | +7.2% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1,502 | 1,304 | -0.3% |
| 10 | Georgia | 1,264 | 1,119 | -7.1% |
| 11 | Indiana | 1,258 | 1,080 | +11.5% |
| 12 | Missouri | 1,187 | 1,021 | +13.6% |
| 13 | Tennessee | 1,149 | 1,013 | +2.0% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 1,029 | 920 | -1.3% |
| 15 | Virginia | 1,000 | 882 | +0.7% |
| 16 | Alabama | 988 | 831 | +9.5% |
| 17 | Louisiana | 941 | 831 | +0.7% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 935 | 808 | +0.5% |
| 19 | Kentucky | 854 | 748 | -1.0% |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 832 | 689 | +9.9% |
| 21 | South Carolina | 806 | 694 | -1.7% |
| 22 | Washington | 804 | 694 | +6.1% |
| 23 | Minnesota | 802 | 712 | +6.4% |
| 24 | Massachusetts | 789 | 699 | -8.7% |
| 25 | Iowa | 779 | 657 | +16.3% |
| 26 | Arizona | 739 | 634 | +10.3% |
| 27 | Maryland | 660 | 582 | -1.5% |
| 28 | Oregon | 630 | 558 | +12.1% |
| 29 | Colorado | 620 | 543 | +6.7% |
| 30 | Mississippi | 581 | 496 | +6.4% |
| 31 | Kansas | 549 | 463 | +7.9% |
| 32 | New Mexico | 549 | 461 | -1.1% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 531 | 446 | -5.0% |
| 34 | West Virginia | 489 | 425 | +6.1% |
| 35 | Connecticut | 417 | 372 | +7.2% |
| 36 | Nebraska | 397 | 331 | +7.6% |
| 37 | Montana | 299 | 248 | +2.7% |
| 38 | Idaho | 279 | 232 | -0.7% |
| 39 | Wyoming | 253 | 208 | +20.5% |
| 40 | Utah | 250 | 221 | -8.1% |
| 41 | Maine | 228 | 202 | +2.2% |
| 42 | South Dakota | 219 | 185 | +12.3% |
| 43 | Nevada | 218 | 187 | +0.0% |
| 44 | North Dakota | 182 | 151 | +9.0% |
| 45 | New Hampshire | 157 | 146 | +4.0% |
| 46 | Hawaii | 145 | 133 | +0.7% |
| 47 | Alaska | 125 | 109 | +11.6% |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 119 | 112 | +8.2% |
| 49 | Delaware | 116 | 104 | -4.9% |
| 50 | Vermont | 113 | 100 | -21.0% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 56 | 52 | -20.0% |
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/1976/, 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 1976
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1976?
- 45,523 people died in 39,747 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1976, 2.2% more than in 1975. That is about 124 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1976?
- California, with 4,395 deaths in 3,895 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,172 and New York third with 2,291.
- Is 1976 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1976 figures are final.
Where the 1976 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1976, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1976 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.