COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Smith County, Tennessee
Road fatality data for Smith County (TN). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 38
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 4
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 19.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Near average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Smith County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 4 deaths in the latest year.
Smith County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Smith County ranks #875 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #44 of 87 rated counties in TN. Smith County's fatality rate of 19.5 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #875 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,736 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #44 of 87
- in TN by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost SMITH-159 · Smith 19.5/100k · #875 of 2,328
Smith County · 19.5/100k · increasing
- POST 19.5/100k
- BAND #875 of 2,328
- VOL 38 book
- AVG Increasing
- YOY 35 crash
- RATE -7.7% vs TN
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 → · Tennessee state profile →
How does Smith County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Smith County is About the same as 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 Tennessee, Smith County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 21.1 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Smith County's rate and the state average is 1.6 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is McNairy County, at 30.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 11.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Haywood County (63.5), Crockett County (57.2), Cannon County (46.5), Bledsoe County (46.5), Meigs County (43.8), Jackson County (40.4), Cocke County (40.1), Henderson County (35.6), Campbell County (34.8), Macon County (33.6), Morgan County (32.4), McMinn County (32.3), Hardeman County (31.3), McNairy County (30.6).
Smith County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
20 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 37% 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 Smith County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Smith County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Tennessee statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for TN
- 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 SLetter index including TN counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Smith County, Tennessee?
Smith County recorded 38 total traffic fatalities across 35 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 4 fatalities. The county averages approximately 4.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Smith County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Smith County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Tennessee may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Smith County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Smith 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 Smith County?
Smith County has a fatality rate of 19.5 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 Smith County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Smith County ranks #875 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #44 of 87 rated counties in TN, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Smith County compare to the rest of Tennessee?
Smith County's per-capita rate of 19.5 per 100,000 residents is below the Tennessee county average of 21.1. Visit the Tennessee state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Smith 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.