COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Dawson County, Nebraska
Road fatality data for Dawson County (NE). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 40
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 3
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 12.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Decreasing
- Trend
Falling fatality trend
Dawson County's FARS series is labeled Decreasing with 3 deaths in the latest year.
Dawson County on a falling FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Dawson County ranks #1,508 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #12 of 25 rated counties in NE. Dawson County's fatality rate of 12.5 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,508 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,666 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #12 of 25
- in NE by rate
- Decreasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost DAWSON-47 · Dawson 12.5/100k · #1,508 of 2,328
Dawson County · 12.5/100k · decreasing
- AVG 12.5/100k
- YOY #1,508 of 2,328
- RATE 40 book
- RANK Decreasing
- BOOK 38 crash
- TREND -29.3% vs NE
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 → · Nebraska state profile →
How does Dawson County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Dawson County is 29% 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 Nebraska, Dawson County ranks 12 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 17.7 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Dawson County's rate and the state average is 5.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Otoe County, at 12.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.3). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Box Butte County (65.5), Colfax County (37.9), Custer County (37.8), Cass County (32.8), Saunders County (29.8), Washington County (28.4), Dakota County (28.2), Lincoln County (21.0), Buffalo County (15.8), Hall County (14.5), York County (13.9), Otoe County (12.2), Madison County (11.2), Holt County (9.9).
Dawson County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
13 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 65% 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 Dawson County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Dawson County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Nebraska statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NE
- 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 DLetter index including NE counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Dawson County, Nebraska?
Dawson County recorded 40 total traffic fatalities across 38 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 3 fatalities. The county averages approximately 4.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Dawson County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Dawson County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Nebraska may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Dawson County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Dawson County is decreasing. This suggests road safety improvements are having a positive effect in the county.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Dawson County?
Dawson County has a fatality rate of 12.5 per 100,000 residents, which places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Dawson County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Dawson County ranks #1,508 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #12 of 25 rated counties in NE, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Dawson County compare to the rest of Nebraska?
Dawson County's per-capita rate of 12.5 per 100,000 residents is below the Nebraska county average of 17.7. Visit the Nebraska state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Dawson 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.