Fatal crashes in the United States in 1978
In 1978, 50,331 people died in 44,433 fatal crashes on US roads, 5.1% more than in 1977. That is about 138 deaths a day. In 1979, deaths rose to 51,093, 1.5% more than in 1978.
1977 · 1979 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1978 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1978
California, Texas and New York together had 23% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 39 states and fell in 11 on the year before; the largest change was in Hawaii, 30% up.
| State | Deaths, 1978 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5,310 | 4,724 | +9.7% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,914 | 3,407 | +7.7% |
| 3 | New York | 2,436 | 2,200 | +4.3% |
| 4 | Florida | 2,235 | 2,023 | +10.6% |
| 5 | Illinois | 2,140 | 1,877 | +0.7% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 2,081 | 1,878 | +0.7% |
| 7 | Ohio | 2,047 | 1,800 | +11.6% |
| 8 | Michigan | 2,020 | 1,783 | +5.5% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1,492 | 1,331 | +4.5% |
| 10 | Georgia | 1,472 | 1,290 | +7.3% |
| 11 | Indiana | 1,266 | 1,108 | +4.6% |
| 12 | Tennessee | 1,241 | 1,099 | +1.5% |
| 13 | Missouri | 1,190 | 1,042 | +0.8% |
| 14 | Alabama | 1,142 | 998 | +5.6% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 1,124 | 1,017 | +3.9% |
| 16 | Louisiana | 1,079 | 956 | +9.0% |
| 17 | Virginia | 1,063 | 951 | -4.9% |
| 18 | Arizona | 1,027 | 905 | +10.1% |
| 19 | Washington | 985 | 865 | +8.0% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 971 | 839 | +4.3% |
| 21 | Minnesota | 962 | 834 | +14.9% |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 901 | 763 | +5.8% |
| 23 | South Carolina | 883 | 778 | -4.7% |
| 24 | Kentucky | 878 | 772 | -6.6% |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 861 | 791 | +15.7% |
| 26 | Mississippi | 784 | 670 | +14.6% |
| 27 | Maryland | 711 | 644 | +7.6% |
| 28 | Oregon | 708 | 626 | +7.8% |
| 29 | Colorado | 694 | 599 | +0.0% |
| 30 | New Mexico | 669 | 588 | +0.1% |
| 31 | Iowa | 638 | 552 | +1.6% |
| 32 | Kansas | 572 | 498 | +3.6% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 571 | 493 | +3.6% |
| 34 | West Virginia | 457 | 402 | -11.1% |
| 35 | Connecticut | 452 | 423 | +2.5% |
| 36 | Utah | 370 | 310 | +4.2% |
| 37 | Nebraska | 340 | 290 | -1.4% |
| 38 | Idaho | 327 | 277 | +0.6% |
| 39 | Nevada | 305 | 264 | +21.5% |
| 40 | Montana | 270 | 233 | -14.6% |
| 41 | Wyoming | 241 | 205 | -2.0% |
| 42 | Maine | 237 | 206 | +11.3% |
| 43 | Hawaii | 194 | 174 | +30.2% |
| 44 | South Dakota | 191 | 165 | -8.2% |
| 45 | North Dakota | 181 | 148 | +3.4% |
| 46 | New Hampshire | 171 | 155 | +14.8% |
| 47 | Alaska | 127 | 112 | -5.9% |
| 48 | Delaware | 125 | 112 | +5.0% |
| 49 | Vermont | 119 | 109 | +2.6% |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 108 | 100 | -18.8% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 49 | 47 | -15.5% |
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/1978/, 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 1978
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1978?
- 50,331 people died in 44,433 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1978, 5.1% more than in 1977. That is about 138 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1978?
- California, with 5,310 deaths in 4,724 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,914 and New York third with 2,436.
- Is 1978 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1978 figures are final.
Where the 1978 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1978, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1978 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.