How many car crashes a year were there in the early 1980s?

In the early 1980s, the United States saw approximately 5 to 6 million car crashes annually. This period was marked by high rates of traffic accidents, with fatalities often exceeding 40,000 each year. Factors contributing to these numbers included increasing vehicle ownership, speed limits, and less stringent safety regulations compared to later decades. Overall, the early 1980s were characterized by significant concerns regarding road safety.