Counties: S

How do counties starting with S compare on road safety?

This page lists 269 U.S. counties whose names begin with the letter S, drawn from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Across the 50 counties visible here, 0 states are represented, a reminder that county-level road safety varies as much within a state as across state lines. Averaging the counties on this page yields roughly 91 traffic fatalities per county over the reporting period, but that blended figure masks extreme range: rural counties with low populations can show single-digit annual fatalities while dense urban counties often exceed a hundred. The largest figure on this page belongs to SHELBY (157) with 1,571 fatalities recorded, typically a function of population, interstate highway mileage, and commute volume rather than any single policy shortcoming.

When comparing counties, pair absolute fatality counts with population-adjusted rates (fatalities per 100,000 residents) and vehicle-miles-traveled rates to separate volume effects from risk factors. Rural roads contribute disproportionately to U.S. traffic deaths: the NHTSA notes rural areas account for roughly 20% of the population but about 40% of traffic fatalities, driven by higher speed limits, longer EMS response times, and lower seat-belt usage. Each county page shows trailing-year trends, crash-type breakdowns, and the FARS data vintage so you can evaluate change over time rather than a single snapshot.

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) · Scope: counties beginning with S · Interpretation: pair counts with population-adjusted rates; see individual county pages for trends.