Fatal crashes in the United States in 1988
In 1988, 47,087 people died in 42,130 fatal crashes on US roads, 1.5% more than in 1987. That is about 129 deaths a day. In 1989, deaths fell to 45,582, 3.2% fewer than in 1988.
1987 · 1989 · All states today.
US road deaths since 1975, with 1988 marked
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them.
Road deaths by state in 1988
California, Texas and Florida together had 25% of the deaths. Deaths rose in 30 states and fell in 20 on the year before; the largest change was in Alaska, 28% up.
| State | Deaths, 1988 | Fatal crashes | Change on 1987 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 5,392 | 4,875 | -2.0% |
| 2 | Texas | 3,392 | 3,001 | +4.0% |
| 3 | Florida | 3,078 | 2,758 | +8.4% |
| 4 | New York | 2,256 | 2,064 | -3.5% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 1,931 | 1,770 | -2.8% |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,837 | 1,666 | +11.1% |
| 7 | Ohio | 1,748 | 1,586 | -1.4% |
| 8 | Michigan | 1,708 | 1,526 | +6.6% |
| 9 | Georgia | 1,654 | 1,488 | +3.4% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 1,573 | 1,400 | -0.7% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 1,266 | 1,116 | +1.5% |
| 12 | Missouri | 1,103 | 978 | +5.6% |
| 13 | Indiana | 1,099 | 957 | +4.2% |
| 14 | Virginia | 1,072 | 971 | +5.0% |
| 15 | New Jersey | 1,051 | 966 | +2.7% |
| 16 | South Carolina | 1,031 | 908 | -5.1% |
| 17 | Alabama | 1,024 | 922 | -7.8% |
| 18 | Arizona | 944 | 844 | +0.5% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 925 | 822 | +12.0% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 838 | 717 | -0.7% |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 807 | 704 | +1.3% |
| 22 | Maryland | 781 | 710 | -4.1% |
| 23 | Washington | 778 | 700 | -0.3% |
| 24 | Massachusetts | 725 | 673 | +5.2% |
| 25 | Mississippi | 722 | 632 | -4.5% |
| 26 | Oregon | 677 | 569 | +9.4% |
| 27 | Oklahoma | 638 | 561 | +6.9% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 612 | 543 | +15.5% |
| 29 | Arkansas | 610 | 532 | -4.5% |
| 30 | Iowa | 557 | 494 | +13.4% |
| 31 | Colorado | 497 | 450 | -15.9% |
| 32 | New Mexico | 487 | 433 | -14.3% |
| 33 | Connecticut | 484 | 446 | +7.8% |
| 34 | Kansas | 483 | 406 | -1.6% |
| 35 | West Virginia | 460 | 405 | -2.3% |
| 36 | Utah | 297 | 258 | +0.0% |
| 37 | Nevada | 286 | 256 | +9.2% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 261 | 234 | -12.1% |
| 39 | Idaho | 257 | 228 | -1.2% |
| 40 | Maine | 256 | 231 | +10.3% |
| 41 | Montana | 198 | 183 | -15.4% |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 166 | 151 | -7.3% |
| 43 | Delaware | 160 | 143 | +9.6% |
| 44 | Wyoming | 155 | 129 | +20.2% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 148 | 128 | +6.5% |
| 46 | South Dakota | 147 | 127 | +9.7% |
| 47 | Vermont | 129 | 117 | +8.4% |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 125 | 118 | +10.6% |
| 49 | North Dakota | 104 | 92 | +3.0% |
| 50 | Alaska | 97 | 86 | +27.6% |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 61 | 56 | +15.1% |
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/1988/, 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 1988
- How many people died in car accidents in the United States in 1988?
- 47,087 people died in 42,130 fatal crashes on US public roads in 1988, 1.5% more than in 1987. That is about 129 deaths a day. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which state had the most road deaths in 1988?
- California, with 5,392 deaths in 4,875 fatal crashes. Texas was second with 3,392 and Florida third with 3,078.
- Is 1988 the latest year available?
- No. The latest year NHTSA has published is 2024; the 1988 figures are final.
Where the 1988 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System file for 1988, the final file. Rates per 100,000 use Census Bureau population estimates. News reports from 1988 often quote NHTSA's early estimate, made before the file was complete, so their totals differ from the final count here. The full method.