Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Kentucky in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 806
- Fatal crashes
- 734
- Population
- 4.5M
In 2021, 806 people died in 734 fatal crashes in Kentucky, about 2 a day. That was 3.3% more than in 2020 (780) and the most since 2016. The death rate was 17.9 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Kentucky had the 19th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 11th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 9% of deaths, and 17% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
9%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About half the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 613 |
| Pedestrians | 75 |
| Motorcyclists | 108 |
| Cyclists | 10 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Kentucky | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 75 | 9% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 108 | 13% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 10 | 1% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 188 | 23% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 143 | 18% | 29% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
17%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
27%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 26.6% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 17.3% | 28.2% |
| At night | 43.3% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 29.3% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
43%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 80 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
29%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 27 |
| 1am | 25 |
| 2am | 21 |
| 3am | 15 |
| 4am | 15 |
| 5am | 12 |
| 6am | 25 |
| 7am | 25 |
| 8am | 20 |
| 9am | 28 |
| 10am | 32 |
| 11am | 27 |
| 12pm | 34 |
| 1pm | 37 |
| 2pm | 46 |
| 3pm | 46 |
| 4pm | 53 |
| 5pm | 42 |
| 6pm | 44 |
| 7pm | 42 |
| 8pm | 32 |
| 9pm | 32 |
| 10pm | 31 |
| 11pm | 22 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 111 |
| Mon | 113 |
| Tue | 93 |
| Wed | 106 |
| Thu | 95 |
| Fri | 112 |
| Sat | 104 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 46 |
| Feb | 48 |
| Mar | 53 |
| Apr | 63 |
| May | 67 |
| Jun | 61 |
| Jul | 63 |
| Aug | 71 |
| Sep | 72 |
| Oct | 72 |
| Nov | 68 |
| Dec | 50 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 490 |
| Cloudy | 140 |
| Rain | 73 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 11 |
| Snow | 9 |
| Other | 2 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 425 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 199 |
| Dark - Lighted | 70 |
| Dusk | 15 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 11 |
| Dawn | 11 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-6522
- I-6419
- SR-1512
- US-6012
- US-2711
- I-7510
- US-239
- I-718
- US-427
- US-4217
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 408 |
| Pickup trucks | 225 |
| SUVs | 214 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 131 |
| Motorcycles | 106 |
| Other vehicles | 42 |
| Vans | 32 |
| Buses | 5 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado54
- Ford F-15045
- Nissan Altima22
- Toyota Camry20
- Ford Explorer19
- Ford Ranger17
- GMC Sierra17
- Chevrolet Equinox16
- Chevrolet Malibu16
- Freightliner Cascadia16
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2021 | Wolfe County | SR-2491 WASHINGTON ST | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | Oldham County | I-71 | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | Laurel County | US-25 | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | Pineville, Bell County | SR-2015 | 1 |
| Aug 26, 2021 | Corinth, Grant County | SR-330 CORNITH RD | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | Marshall County | I-24 | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | Madison County | SR-52 IRVINE RD | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | Lincoln County | US-150 JOHN SIMS HWY | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | Union County | SR-56 | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2021 | Bracken County | SR-9 N AA HWY | 2 |
| Aug 24, 2021 | Inez, Martin County | SR-4- BLACKLOG RD | 1 |
| Aug 24, 2021 | Grayson County | SR-259 ANNETA RD | 1 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Shively, Jefferson County | US-60 A 7TH ST RD | 1 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Ohio County | SR-261 HARDINSBURG RD | 1 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-65 | 2 |
| Aug 22, 2021 | Maysville, Mason County | SR-9 | 1 |
| Aug 18, 2021 | Russellville, Logan County | US-68 BOWLING GREEN RD | 2 |
| Aug 17, 2021 | Hancock County | SR-334 | 1 |
| Aug 16, 2021 | Leslie County | CR- TWIST N SOURWOOD RD | 1 |
| Aug 16, 2021 | Pike County | SR-3218 | 1 |
| Aug 15, 2021 | Hazard, Perry County | CR-HARRIS BRANCH LN | 1 |
| Aug 15, 2021 | Wolfe County | SR-15 | 1 |
| Aug 15, 2021 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-25 OLD RICHMOND RD | 1 |
| Aug 15, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1747 FERN VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Aug 14, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-61 PRESTON HWY | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Kentucky in 2021
Rankings
Get updates for Kentucky
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.