Fatal crashes in the United States in 1997
In 1997, 42,013 people died in 37,324 fatal crashes on US roads, 0.1% fewer than in 1996. That is about 115 deaths a day. In 1998, deaths fell to 41,501, 1.2% fewer than in 1997.
1996 · 1998 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1997 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1997
California, Texas and Florida together had 24% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 28 states and fell in 23 on the year before; the largest change was in Montana, 32% up.
| State | Deaths, 1997 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,688 | 3,279 | -7.5% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,513 | 3,084 | -6.1% |
| 3 | Florida | 2,785 | 2,528 | +1.2% |
| 4 | New York | 1,652 | 1,510 | +3.7% |
| 5 | Georgia | 1,577 | 1,405 | +0.3% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 1,557 | 1,412 | +6.0% |
| 7 | North Carolina | 1,483 | 1,290 | -0.7% |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,446 | 1,283 | -3.9% |
| 9 | Ohio | 1,441 | 1,270 | +3.6% |
| 10 | Illinois | 1,397 | 1,261 | -5.4% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 1,225 | 1,104 | -1.1% |
| 12 | Alabama | 1,192 | 1,050 | +4.0% |
| 13 | Missouri | 1,192 | 1,029 | +3.8% |
| 14 | Virginia | 984 | 900 | +12.2% |
| 15 | Arizona | 951 | 846 | -4.3% |
| 16 | Indiana | 935 | 846 | -5.0% |
| 17 | Louisiana | 931 | 831 | +3.2% |
| 18 | South Carolina | 903 | 798 | -2.9% |
| 19 | Mississippi | 861 | 741 | +6.2% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 857 | 774 | +1.8% |
| 21 | Oklahoma | 838 | 721 | +8.5% |
| 22 | New Jersey | 775 | 700 | -4.8% |
| 23 | Wisconsin | 725 | 635 | -4.7% |
| 24 | Washington | 674 | 587 | -5.3% |
| 25 | Arkansas | 660 | 564 | +7.3% |
| 26 | Colorado | 613 | 534 | -0.6% |
| 27 | Maryland | 611 | 571 | +0.5% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 600 | 528 | +4.2% |
| 29 | Oregon | 524 | 462 | -0.4% |
| 30 | New Mexico | 484 | 400 | -0.2% |
| 31 | Kansas | 482 | 420 | -1.6% |
| 32 | Iowa | 468 | 411 | +0.6% |
| 33 | Massachusetts | 441 | 415 | +5.8% |
| 34 | West Virginia | 381 | 343 | +9.5% |
| 35 | Utah | 366 | 309 | +14.0% |
| 36 | Nevada | 347 | 322 | -0.3% |
| 37 | Connecticut | 339 | 315 | +9.4% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 302 | 261 | +3.1% |
| 39 | Montana | 265 | 223 | +32.5% |
| 40 | Idaho | 259 | 220 | +0.4% |
| 41 | Maine | 192 | 172 | +13.6% |
| 42 | South Dakota | 148 | 128 | -15.4% |
| 43 | Delaware | 143 | 120 | +23.3% |
| 44 | Wyoming | 137 | 117 | -4.2% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 131 | 117 | -11.5% |
| 46 | New Hampshire | 125 | 120 | -6.7% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 105 | 89 | +23.5% |
| 48 | Vermont | 96 | 88 | +9.1% |
| 49 | Alaska | 77 | 68 | -4.9% |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 75 | 66 | +8.7% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 60 | 57 | -3.2% |
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/1997/, 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 1997
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1997?
- 42,013 people died in 37,324 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1997, 0.1% fewer than in 1996. That is about 115 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1997?
- California, with 3,688 deaths in 3,279 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,513 and Florida third with 2,785.
- Is 1997 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1997 figures are final.
Where the 1997 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1997, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1997 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.