Fatal crashes in the United States in 1986
In 1986, 46,087 people died in 41,090 fatal crashes on US roads, 5.2% more than in 1985. That is about 126 deaths a day. In 1987, deaths rose to 46,390, 0.7% more than in 1986.
1985 · 1987 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1986 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1986
California, Texas and Florida together had 25% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 37 states and fell in 14 on the year before; the largest change was in Delaware, 31% up.
| State | Deaths, 1986 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1985 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5,253 | 4,683 | +5.9% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,567 | 3,120 | -3.0% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,831 | 2,541 | -0.0% |
| 4 | New York | 2,121 | 1,949 | +5.7% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 1,894 | 1,710 | +6.9% |
| 6 | Ohio | 1,673 | 1,503 | +1.6% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 1,647 | 1,489 | +11.1% |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,605 | 1,442 | +3.9% |
| 9 | Illinois | 1,596 | 1,449 | +4.0% |
| 10 | Georgia | 1,530 | 1,378 | +12.4% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 1,230 | 1,102 | +11.7% |
| 12 | Missouri | 1,129 | 970 | +21.3% |
| 13 | Virginia | 1,126 | 1,002 | +15.4% |
| 14 | Alabama | 1,081 | 968 | +22.6% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 1,059 | 944 | +11.4% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 1,039 | 946 | +7.8% |
| 17 | Indiana | 1,038 | 931 | +6.6% |
| 18 | Arizona | 1,007 | 889 | +12.8% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 932 | 821 | +0.1% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 805 | 723 | +13.1% |
| 21 | Maryland | 784 | 716 | +7.5% |
| 22 | Mississippi | 771 | 670 | +16.5% |
| 23 | Massachusetts | 752 | 680 | +1.3% |
| 24 | Wisconsin | 747 | 651 | +0.4% |
| 25 | Washington | 703 | 648 | -5.5% |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 698 | 607 | -6.2% |
| 27 | Oregon | 619 | 544 | +10.7% |
| 28 | Arkansas | 603 | 524 | +12.9% |
| 29 | Colorado | 603 | 507 | +4.1% |
| 30 | Minnesota | 571 | 505 | -6.1% |
| 31 | Kansas | 500 | 413 | +2.9% |
| 32 | New Mexico | 499 | 436 | -6.7% |
| 33 | Connecticut | 455 | 429 | +1.6% |
| 34 | Iowa | 441 | 388 | -7.0% |
| 35 | West Virginia | 440 | 386 | +4.8% |
| 36 | Utah | 313 | 277 | +3.3% |
| 37 | Nebraska | 290 | 259 | +22.4% |
| 38 | Idaho | 258 | 220 | +1.2% |
| 39 | Nevada | 233 | 203 | -10.0% |
| 40 | Montana | 222 | 193 | -0.4% |
| 41 | Maine | 214 | 191 | +3.9% |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 172 | 162 | -9.9% |
| 43 | Wyoming | 168 | 146 | +10.5% |
| 44 | Delaware | 136 | 119 | +30.8% |
| 45 | South Dakota | 134 | 118 | +3.1% |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 124 | 115 | +13.8% |
| 47 | Hawaii | 120 | 111 | -4.8% |
| 48 | Vermont | 109 | 91 | -5.2% |
| 49 | Alaska | 101 | 89 | -20.5% |
| 50 | North Dakota | 100 | 88 | +11.1% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 44 | 44 | -26.7% |
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/1986/, 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 1986
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1986?
- 46,087 people died in 41,090 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1986, 5.2% more than in 1985. That is about 126 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1986?
- California, with 5,253 deaths in 4,683 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,567 and Florida third with 2,831.
- Is 1986 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1986 figures are final.
Where the 1986 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1986, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1986 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.