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States › North Carolina › 1988

1988

North Carolina · year

North Carolina in 1988

Deaths 1,573Fatal crashes 1,400Per 100,000 —US deaths 47,087

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 1988.

In 1988, 1,573 people died in 1,400 fatal crashes in North Carolina.

The death toll was about level between 1987 (1,584) and 1988 (1,573).

North Carolina accounted for 3.3% of the 47,087 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

43.9% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

34% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Saturday was the most common day.

← 198719881989 →All years

Compared with 1987 and the nation

MeasureNorth Carolina 1988North Carolina 1987United States 1988
Deaths1,5731,58447,087
Fatal crashes1,4001,41642,130
Deaths per 100,000 residents———
Crashes with a drinking driver44%48%40%

Counties in 1988

Every county with a fatal crash in 1988, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 96 counties listed.

CountyFatal crashesDeathsPer 100,000Deaths 2015–2024
Mecklenburg County62685.61,059
Guilford County576311.3649
Wake County54584.7772
Robeson County425344.7531
Johnston County374417.6341
Randolph County324027.0261
Gaston County323514.5277
Cumberland County313510.3501
Columbus County273569.9204
Harnett County283221.9293
Buncombe County273211.5347
Iredell County273215.5238
Forsyth County28287.0419
Catawba County272816.8237
Halifax County212859.6152
Onslow County262712.7231
Alamance County222614.2214
Union County22269.9232
Rowan County212516.3233
Burke County202326.0142
Sampson County212236.4199
Pitt County192212.2261
Wilkes County192131.7129
Surry County172129.4141
Durham County20205.8296
Davidson County192011.2306
Granville County182032.5138
Nash County162020.4232
Montgomery County142075.991
Caldwell County191923.5123
Wayne County191915.8209
Rockingham County181920.3155
Cabarrus County17197.8235
Franklin County171923.8154
Richmond County151945.2106
Wilson County151923.8164
Lenoir County161730.7129
McDowell County151737.670
Brunswick County15169.6214
Stanly County151623.895
Lincoln County141616.4127
Haywood County151523.8108
Scotland County141544.3120
Bladen County131550.4108
Rutherford County131522.9118
Anson County121566.961
Chatham County111517.9141
Henderson County141411.6123
Orange County14149.2147
Craven County121413.4131
Cleveland County111413.7208
Beaufort County131329.271
Vance County131330.795
Bertie County111376.760
Lee County111319.0135
Duplin County121223.7181
New Hanover County12124.9210
Northampton County121272.473
Martin County111151.146
Alexander County101130.057
Moore County101110.1183
Person County91127.460
Yadkin County91026.391
Edgecombe County9918.3118
Stokes County9919.670
Pender County8912.8159
Hertford County8841.761
Carteret County7710.093
Pasquotank County7716.963
Currituck County5721.745
Davie County6613.269
Hoke County6610.8138
Macon County6615.554
Watauga County6610.958
Jackson County5613.376
Jones County5663.426
Warren County5631.471
Gates County4548.534
Ashe County4414.743
Polk County1–2419.735
Avery County3316.824
Cherokee County339.958
Dare County337.943
Greene County3314.536
Pamlico County3323.923
Alleghany County1–21–2—17
Caswell County1–21–2—55
Chowan County1–21–2—19
Madison County1–21–2—45
Mitchell County1–21–2—18
Perquimans County1–21–2—21
Washington County1–21–2—16
Yancey County1–21–2—28
Camden County1–21–2—9
Swain County1–21–2—24
Transylvania County1–21–2—35

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

12am4.4%
1am3.7%
2am3.2%
3am2.5%
4am1.4%
5am2.3%
6am3.6%
7am3.1%
8am3.3%
9am2.2%
10am2.9%
11am3.1%
12pm3.9%
1pm3.5%
2pm5.2%
3pm5.4%
4pm6%
5pm6.7%
6pm7.4%
7pm5.2%
8pm5.3%
9pm4.8%
10pm5%
11pm5.9%

Weekday

Sunday16%
Monday12%
Tuesday11%
Wednesday12%
Thursday12%
Friday17%
Saturday21%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in North Carolina in 1988?

1,573 people in 1,400 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 1988 file.

Which county in North Carolina had the most crash deaths in 1988?

Mecklenburg County with 68 deaths in 62 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 1988 compare with 1987 in North Carolina?

1,573 deaths against 1,584 in 1987 (+-1%). Nationally the 1988 total was 47,087.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1988 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.