Massachusetts fatal crashes in 1985
FARS records 742 deaths in 687 fatal crashes in Massachusetts in 1985.
In 1984 it records 666 deaths in 608 fatal crashes.
This site gives no rate for the years before 2000.
Deaths in Massachusetts rose by 11.4% from 1984 to 1985. In the United States they fell by 1.0%.
In 1985, a driver was recorded as drinking in 36.0% of fatal crashes in Massachusetts and 40.3% in the United States.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
This site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years. Release dates
1985 beside 1984
| Figure | Massachusetts, 1985 | Massachusetts, 1984 | United States, 1985 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 742 | 666 | 43,825 |
| Fatal crashes | 687 | 608 | 39,196 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 247 | 247 | 15,777 |
Note: this site has no rate for the years before 2000.
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA's definitions
For the years before 2015 the count is from the FARS element DRUNK_DR. It counts a blood alcohol concentration of .01 g/dL or more. From 2015 the count is from DR_DRINK and counts .001 g/dL or more.
Counties in 1985
| County | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | 34 | 31 |
| Berkshire County | 24 | 22 |
| Bristol County | 63 | 60 |
| Dukes County | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Essex County | 82 | 76 |
| Franklin County | 21 | 20 |
| Hampden County | 52 | 49 |
| Hampshire County | 26 | 22 |
| Middlesex County | 135 | 129 |
| Nantucket County | 3 | 3 |
| Norfolk County | 82 | 73 |
| Plymouth County | 65 | 63 |
| Suffolk County | 53 | 49 |
| Worcester County | 99 | 88 |
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 1985 is not in the table. A count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2".
Time of day and weekday
| Time of day | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight to 6 a.m. | 175 | 25.7% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 98 | 14.4% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 206 | 30.2% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 203 | 29.8% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 100 | 14.6% |
| Monday | 72 | 10.5% |
| Tuesday | 74 | 10.8% |
| Wednesday | 91 | 13.2% |
| Thursday | 102 | 14.8% |
| Friday | 107 | 15.6% |
| Saturday | 141 | 20.5% |
Note: the tables have the fatal crashes with a known hour or weekday.
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. Massachusetts fatal crashes in 1985. https://fatalroads.com/state/massachusetts/1985/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national file of 1985. This site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Data to .
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
Which file does the 1985 page use?
This site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 1985 was in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts had 742 of the 43,825 deaths in the United States in 1985. That is 1.7 percent.
In how many counties of Massachusetts did FARS record a fatal crash in 1985?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 14 counties of Massachusetts in 1985.
How many fatal crashes in Massachusetts in 1985 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 247 of 687 fatal crashes in 1985.