How many traffic fatalities occurred in Bristol County, Massachusetts?

Bristol County recorded 353 total traffic fatalities across 330 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 42 fatalities. The county averages approximately 39.2 fatalities per year.

What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Bristol County?

Despite a comparatively active crash history (330 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Bristol County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Massachusetts may provide additional context.

Is the trend of road fatalities in Bristol County increasing or decreasing?

The trend in Bristol County is increasing. This indicates that traffic fatalities have risen over the data period, warranting attention to road safety initiatives.

What is the fatality rate per capita in Bristol County?

Bristol County has a fatality rate of 7.2 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.

How does Bristol County compare to the rest of Massachusetts?

Bristol County's per-capita rate of 7.2 per 100,000 residents is above the Massachusetts county average of 5.8. Visit the Massachusetts state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.

Where does the road fatality data for Bristol County come from?

All road fatality data comes from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes on public roads in the United States. FARS data covers the period 2016-2023 and includes all crashes resulting in at least one fatality within 30 days.

COUNTY FATALITY DATA

Bristol County, Massachusetts

Road fatality data for Bristol County (MA). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

353
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 42
Latest Year Deaths: 7.2
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Bristol County ranks #2,023 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #3 of 13 rated counties in MA. Bristol County's fatality rate of 7.2 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.

#2,023 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #3 of 13
in MA by rate: 87%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

NHTSA FARS milepost

Milepost BRISTOL-5 · Bristol 7.2/100k · #2,023 of 2,328

Bristol County · 7.2/100k · increasing · cause n/a

CRASH 7.2/100k
FARS #2,023 of 2,328
NHTSA 353 book
MILE Increasing
POST near Clackamas
BAND +23.2% vs MA

Stamps derive from this county's NHTSA FARS row (per-100k or book, corpus rank, trend, nationwide peer NAME, vs-state gap), not a trip-risk forecast. PlainRoadSafety is informational only. See our disclaimer. Verify with NHTSA FARS → · Read with methodology → · Understanding road fatality data → · Massachusetts state profile →

Clackamas

7
Clark

7
Orange

7
San Luis O…

7
Bristol

7

What this shows Bristol County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.

How does Bristol County compare?

2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.

Compare with

Bristol County

7.2 per 100k

Massachusetts county average

5.8 per 100k

Bristol County is 24% deadlier than the comparison

2023 road deaths from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System over population from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2023). Rates shown for counties with 10,000+ residents and a 2023 FARS record.

Among the 13 rated counties in Massachusetts, Bristol County ranks 3 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 5.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Bristol County's rate and the state average is 1.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Berkshire County, at 7.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Franklin County (9.9), Hampden County (9.1), Berkshire County (7.1), Plymouth County (6.7), Hampshire County (5.5), Barnstable County (5.2), Worcester County (5.2), Norfolk County (5.1), Dukes County (4.8), Essex County (4.7), Suffolk County (2.9), Middlesex County (2.6).

Bristol County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county

Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population

7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 87% of 2,328 rated counties

rated U.S. counties, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA FARS over U.S. Census Bureau population estimates · 2026-08-09

Bristol County's rate vs. the Massachusetts state average

← Back to Massachusetts All States

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) This information is for research and informational purposes only

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Counties with similar FARS profiles

Two cross-state peer sets for Bristol County. Same-state rate comparisons stay in the chart above; these neighborhoods are nearest other-state counties with population at least 250,000.

Similar per-capita fatality rate

Nearest counties by deaths per 100,000 residents (7.2 here), outside Massachusetts.

Clackamas County 7.1 /100k · OR Clark County 7.1 /100k · WA Orange County 7.1 /100k · NY San Luis Obispo County 7.1 /100k · CA

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (353 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Berks County 354 deaths · PA Burlington County 352 deaths · NJ Bronx County 355 deaths · NY Lane County 351 deaths · OR

Verify with NHTSA FARS →

Verify with FHWA →

Source and method. PlainRoadSafety is rendered directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). PlainRoadSafety aggregates published FARS records and does not invent a fatality count the census does not report. County figures are computed directly from NHTSA FARS census data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our Editorial & Corrections Policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or Report a correction. Data current as of October 2024.