Fatal crashes in the United States in 1994
In 1994, 40,716 people died in 36,254 fatal crashes on US roads, 1.4% more than in 1993. That is about 112 deaths a day. In 1995, deaths rose to 41,817, 2.7% more than in 1994.
1993 · 1995 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1994 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1994
California, Texas and Florida together had 25% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 31 states and fell in 20 on the year before; the largest change was in Vermont, 30% down.
| State | Deaths, 1994 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1993 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,232 | 3,787 | +1.6% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,187 | 2,752 | +4.7% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,687 | 2,419 | +1.9% |
| 4 | New York | 1,678 | 1,537 | -6.3% |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,554 | 1,395 | +11.6% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 1,441 | 1,320 | -5.8% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 1,431 | 1,254 | +3.0% |
| 8 | Georgia | 1,425 | 1,281 | +2.2% |
| 9 | Michigan | 1,421 | 1,264 | +0.5% |
| 10 | Ohio | 1,370 | 1,207 | -7.3% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 1,214 | 1,109 | +3.8% |
| 12 | Missouri | 1,089 | 947 | +15.0% |
| 13 | Alabama | 1,083 | 953 | +3.7% |
| 14 | Indiana | 971 | 869 | +7.8% |
| 15 | Virginia | 930 | 828 | +5.8% |
| 16 | Arizona | 904 | 795 | +12.9% |
| 17 | South Carolina | 847 | 753 | +0.1% |
| 18 | Louisiana | 843 | 749 | -4.0% |
| 19 | Mississippi | 791 | 689 | -2.7% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 778 | 693 | -10.7% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 761 | 691 | -3.5% |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 712 | 622 | -0.3% |
| 23 | Oklahoma | 687 | 606 | +2.4% |
| 24 | Maryland | 651 | 601 | -2.3% |
| 25 | Minnesota | 646 | 552 | +20.1% |
| 26 | Washington | 640 | 575 | -3.2% |
| 27 | Arkansas | 609 | 534 | +4.5% |
| 28 | Colorado | 586 | 523 | +4.8% |
| 29 | Oregon | 494 | 443 | -5.5% |
| 30 | Iowa | 478 | 415 | +4.1% |
| 31 | New Mexico | 447 | 388 | +3.7% |
| 32 | Kansas | 442 | 381 | +3.3% |
| 33 | Massachusetts | 440 | 405 | -7.4% |
| 34 | West Virginia | 356 | 330 | -17.0% |
| 35 | Utah | 343 | 302 | +13.2% |
| 36 | Connecticut | 310 | 284 | -9.4% |
| 37 | Nevada | 294 | 272 | +11.8% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 271 | 229 | +6.7% |
| 39 | Idaho | 250 | 219 | +8.7% |
| 40 | Montana | 202 | 182 | +3.6% |
| 41 | Maine | 188 | 166 | +1.6% |
| 42 | South Dakota | 154 | 141 | +10.0% |
| 43 | Wyoming | 144 | 130 | +20.0% |
| 44 | Hawaii | 122 | 110 | -9.0% |
| 45 | New Hampshire | 119 | 105 | -1.7% |
| 46 | Delaware | 112 | 105 | +1.8% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 88 | 76 | -1.1% |
| 48 | Alaska | 85 | 70 | -28.0% |
| 49 | Vermont | 77 | 69 | -30.0% |
| 50 | District of Columbia | 69 | 65 | +21.1% |
| 51 | Rhode Island | 63 | 62 | -14.9% |
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/1994/, 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 1994
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1994?
- 40,716 people died in 36,254 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1994, 1.4% more than in 1993. That is about 112 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1994?
- California, with 4,232 deaths in 3,787 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,187 and Florida third with 2,687.
- Is 1994 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1994 figures are final.
Where the 1994 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1994, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1994 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.