States › Massachusetts › 1977

1977

Massachusetts in 1977

Deaths 744Fatal crashes 686Per 100,000 —US deaths 47,878

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Final FARS file for 1977.

In 1977, 744 people died in 686 fatal crashes in Massachusetts.

The death toll fell 6% from 789 in 1976 to 744 in 1977.

Massachusetts accounted for 1.6% of the 47,878 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

35.1% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

39% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Saturday was the most common day.

← 197619771978 →All years

Compared with 1976 and the nation

Measure	Massachusetts 1977	Massachusetts 1976	United States 1977
Deaths	744	789	47,878
Fatal crashes	686	699	42,211
Deaths per 100,000 residents	—	—	—
Crashes with a drinking driver	35%	9%	34%

Counties in 1977

Every county with a fatal crash in 1977, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 12 counties listed.

County	Fatal crashes	Deaths	Per 100,000	Deaths 2015–2024
Middlesex County	134	140	8.4	513
Worcester County	84	94	10.7	533
Essex County	76	80	9.7	332
Suffolk County	74	75	9.5	271
Norfolk County	66	74	10.0	368
Bristol County	68	73	12.4	429
Plymouth County	56	59	10.9	370
Barnstable County	32	42	18.1	138
Hampden County	36	41	8.8	418
Berkshire County	34	37	28.7	122
Hampshire County	16	17	10.3	84
Franklin County	10	12	16.9	71

Per 100,000 uses the 2024 population estimate for every year, so early-year rates are understated where a county has grown.

Hour of day

12am6.4%

1am8.3%

2am7.9%

3am2.8%

4am1.3%

5am1.5%

6am1.8%

7am1.5%

8am1.2%

9am2.2%

10am1.5%

11am2.5%

12pm1.8%

1pm2.6%

2pm2.8%

3pm4.8%

4pm4.1%

5pm6%

6pm5.1%

7pm5.3%

8pm6%

9pm6.4%

10pm7.5%

11pm8.8%

Weekday

Sunday14%

Monday10%

Tuesday11%

Wednesday12%

Thursday12%

Friday18%

Saturday24%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Massachusetts in 1977?

744 people in 686 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 1977 file.

Which county in Massachusetts had the most crash deaths in 1977?

Middlesex County with 140 deaths in 134 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 1977 compare with 1976 in Massachusetts?

744 deaths against 789 in 1976 (+-6%). Nationally the 1977 total was 47,878.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1977 national file (accident table); US Census Bureau population estimates (no county estimates before 2000 are used, so no rate is shown for this year). Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.