COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Brookings County, South Dakota
Road fatality data for Brookings County (SD). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 20
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 4
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 11.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Decreasing
- Trend
Falling fatality trend
Brookings County's FARS series is labeled Decreasing with 4 deaths in the latest year.
Brookings County on a falling FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Brookings County ranks #1,645 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #10 of 16 rated counties in SD. Brookings County's fatality rate of 11.1 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.
- #1,645 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #2,359 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #10 of 16
- in SD by rate
- Decreasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost BROOKINGS-11 · Brookings 11.1/100k · #1,645 of 2,328
Brookings County · 11.1/100k · decreasing
- POST 11.1/100k
- BAND #1,645 of 2,328
- VOL 20 book
- AVG Decreasing
- YOY 18 crash
- RATE -26.1% vs SD
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 → · South Dakota state profile →
How does Brookings County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Brookings County is 26% safer 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 15 rated counties in South Dakota, Brookings County ranks 10 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Brookings County's rate and the state average is 3.9 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Union County, at 11.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Lawrence County (42.8), Roberts County (29.4), Lake County (27.2), Meade County (16.2), Davison County (15.1), Lincoln County (15.0), Codington County (13.8), Yankton County (12.8), Union County (11.6), Butte County (9.2), Minnehaha County (8.7), Pennington County (8.6), Brown County (8.0), Hughes County (5.7).
Brookings County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
11 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 71% 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 · 2026-09-03
More road safety data related to Brookings County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Brookings County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- South Dakota statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for SD
- State fatality changesYear-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. countiesAlphabetical county index
- All state profiles51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparisonRoute-level lookup tool
- National statistics downloadFARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality dataMethodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road riskRate denominator explained
- Counties starting with BLetter index including SD counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Brookings County, South Dakota?
Brookings County recorded 20 total traffic fatalities across 18 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 4 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Brookings County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Brookings County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for South Dakota may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Brookings County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Brookings County is decreasing. This suggests road safety improvements are having a positive effect in the county.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Brookings County?
Brookings County has a fatality rate of 11.1 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.
Where does Brookings County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Brookings County ranks #1,645 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #10 of 16 rated counties in SD, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Brookings County compare to the rest of South Dakota?
Brookings County's per-capita rate of 11.1 per 100,000 residents is below the South Dakota county average of 15.0. Visit the South Dakota state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Brookings 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.