Fatal crashes in the United States in 1980
In 1980, 51,091 people died in 45,284 fatal crashes on US roads, about the same as in 1979. That is about 140 deaths a day. In 1981, deaths fell to 49,301, 3.5% fewer than in 1980.
1979 · 1981 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1980 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1980
California, Texas and Florida together had 25% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 22 states and fell in 29 on the year before; the largest change was in Delaware, 30% up.
| State | Deaths, 1980 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1979 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5,496 | 4,930 | -0.8% |
| 2 | Texas | 4,366 | 3,814 | +4.8% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,825 | 2,519 | +8.9% |
| 4 | New York | 2,610 | 2,374 | +8.9% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 2,089 | 1,882 | -3.0% |
| 6 | Ohio | 2,033 | 1,805 | -10.9% |
| 7 | Illinois | 1,975 | 1,776 | -2.1% |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,750 | 1,561 | -4.0% |
| 9 | Georgia | 1,508 | 1,348 | -1.0% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 1,503 | 1,327 | -1.6% |
| 11 | Louisiana | 1,219 | 1,080 | +2.0% |
| 12 | Missouri | 1,175 | 1,025 | +2.4% |
| 13 | Indiana | 1,166 | 1,029 | -10.2% |
| 14 | Tennessee | 1,153 | 1,007 | -4.7% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 1,120 | 1,022 | -1.9% |
| 16 | Virginia | 1,045 | 938 | +2.9% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 972 | 847 | -1.3% |
| 18 | Washington | 971 | 847 | -4.3% |
| 19 | Oklahoma | 959 | 820 | +12.4% |
| 20 | Arizona | 947 | 833 | -8.0% |
| 21 | Alabama | 940 | 835 | -5.8% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 881 | 813 | -3.9% |
| 23 | South Carolina | 852 | 747 | -5.3% |
| 24 | Minnesota | 848 | 742 | -2.2% |
| 25 | Kentucky | 820 | 746 | -8.5% |
| 26 | Maryland | 756 | 682 | +12.7% |
| 27 | Colorado | 709 | 625 | +2.6% |
| 28 | Mississippi | 695 | 603 | -2.8% |
| 29 | Oregon | 646 | 585 | -4.4% |
| 30 | Iowa | 626 | 541 | -4.4% |
| 31 | New Mexico | 606 | 513 | -4.3% |
| 32 | Kansas | 595 | 506 | +14.6% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 588 | 486 | +7.3% |
| 34 | Connecticut | 575 | 520 | +1.2% |
| 35 | West Virginia | 523 | 464 | +2.1% |
| 36 | Nebraska | 396 | 337 | +20.0% |
| 37 | Nevada | 346 | 302 | -2.3% |
| 38 | Utah | 334 | 291 | +4.0% |
| 39 | Idaho | 331 | 287 | -0.6% |
| 40 | Montana | 325 | 276 | -2.1% |
| 41 | Maine | 265 | 236 | +12.3% |
| 42 | Wyoming | 245 | 205 | +0.4% |
| 43 | South Dakota | 228 | 188 | +8.1% |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 194 | 175 | +5.4% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 186 | 167 | -9.3% |
| 46 | Delaware | 153 | 135 | +29.7% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 151 | 133 | +18.0% |
| 48 | Vermont | 137 | 125 | -13.8% |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 129 | 118 | +4.9% |
| 50 | Alaska | 88 | 79 | -2.2% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 41 | 38 | -6.8% |
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/1980/, 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 1980
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1980?
- 51,091 people died in 45,284 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1980, about the same as in 1979. That is about 140 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1980?
- California, with 5,496 deaths in 4,930 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 4,366 and Florida third with 2,825.
- Is 1980 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1980 figures are final.
Where the 1980 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1980, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1980 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.