How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1983?

42,589 people died in 37,976 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1983, 3.1% fewer than in 1982. That is about 117 deaths a day.

Which state had the most road deaths in 1983?

California, with 4,573 deaths in 4,089 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,823 and Florida third with 2,686.

Is 1983 the latest year available?

No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1983 figures are final.

Fatal crashes in the United States in 1983

In 1983, 42,589 people died in 37,976 fatal crashes on US roads, 3.1% fewer than in 1982. That is about 117 deaths a day.

1982 · 1984 · All states today.

US road deaths since 1975, with 1983 marked

Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.

Road deaths by state in 1983

California, Texas and Florida together had 26% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 18 states and fell in 33 on the year before; the largest change was in District of Columbia, 89% up.

	State	Deaths, 1983	Fatal crashes	Change on 1982
1	California	4,573	4,089	-0.9%
2	Texas	3,823	3,328	-9.3%
3	Florida	2,686	2,415	1.2%
4	New York	2,077	1,918	-3.9%
5	Pennsylvania	1,721	1,544	-5.4%
6	Ohio	1,582	1,416	-1.6%
7	Illinois	1,526	1,379	-7.6%
8	Michigan	1,314	1,192	-5.6%
9	Georgia	1,296	1,157	5.5%
10	North Carolina	1,234	1,083	-5.3%
11	Tennessee	1,037	919	-1.7%
12	Indiana	1,016	876	5.7%
13	Louisiana	933	836	-14.5%
14	New Jersey	932	866	-12.2%
15	Alabama	930	806	10.8%
16	Missouri	911	810	2.4%
17	Virginia	901	803	2.3%
18	Oklahoma	848	720	-19.5%
19	South Carolina	844	739	15.6%
20	Kentucky	778	690	-5.4%
21	Wisconsin	725	648	-5.8%
22	Mississippi	715	626	-2.1%
23	Washington	698	628	-6.7%
24	Arizona	675	616	-6.8%
25	Maryland	656	607	2.5%
26	Massachusetts	651	605	-1.2%
27	Colorado	646	591	-3.3%
28	Arkansas	557	485	1.3%
29	Minnesota	555	498	-2.8%
30	Oregon	550	485	6.2%
31	New Mexico	531	467	-8.0%
32	Iowa	514	437	7.1%
33	Connecticut	438	404	-15.0%
34	West Virginia	425	379	-5.6%
35	Kansas	411	361	-17.5%
36	Montana	286	253	12.6%
37	Utah	283	253	-4.1%
38	Idaho	263	231	2.7%
39	Nebraska	255	221	-2.3%
40	Nevada	253	220	-9.6%
41	Maine	224	198	34.9%
42	New Hampshire	191	166	10.4%
43	South Dakota	175	147	18.2%
44	Wyoming	173	152	-13.9%
45	Alaska	150	135	42.9%
46	Hawaii	141	133	-13.5%
47	North Dakota	116	105	-21.6%
48	Delaware	110	98	-9.8%
49	Rhode Island	100	96	-4.8%
50	Vermont	94	87	-12.1%
51	District of Columbia	66	58	88.6%

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count

Rates per 100,000 residents are given for 2015 onward, the years the site holds population estimates for.

Questions about fatal crashes in the United States in 1983

How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1983?: 42,589 people died in 37,976 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1983, 3.1% fewer than in 1982. That is about 117 deaths a day.
Which state had the most road deaths in 1983?: California, with 4,573 deaths in 4,089 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,823 and Florida third with 2,686.
Is 1983 the latest year available?: No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1983 figures are final.

Where the 1983 numbers come from

Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1983, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. The full method.