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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.
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. The full method.