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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2021 | Oldham County | US-42 | 1 |
| Jul 22, 2021 | Carter County | I-64 | 1 |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Frakes, Bell County | SR-1595 | 1 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | Lyndon, Jefferson County | SR-1747 N HURSTBOURNE PKWY | 1 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | Greenup, Greenup County | US-23 | 1 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | Covington, Kenton County | SR-17 | 1 |
| Jul 19, 2021 | Owsley County | SR-30 | 1 |
| Jul 18, 2021 | Glasgow, Barren County | US-31 N L ROGERS WELL BLVD | 1 |
| Jul 18, 2021 | Whitley County | SR-1259 BARTON MILL RD | 1 |
| Jul 18, 2021 | Grayson County | SR-1133 SADLER RD | 1 |
| Jul 17, 2021 | Henderson, Henderson County | US-41 S GREEN ST | 1 |
| Jul 16, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1747 FERN VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Boone County | I-75 NORTH | 1 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Oldham County | I-71 | 1 |
| Jul 15, 2021 | Edmonson County | SR-238 SUNFISH BEE SPRING RD | 1 |
| Jul 13, 2021 | Pineville, Bell County | US-119 | 1 |
| Jul 13, 2021 | Harrodsburg, Mercer County | US-127 N COLLEGE ST | 1 |
| Jul 13, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-61 PRESTON HWY | 1 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | Lee County | SR-2016 | 1 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | Nicholas County | SR-57 UPPER LICK RD | 1 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | Hardinsburg, Breckinridge County | US-60 | 1 |
| Jul 12, 2021 | Elliott County | SR-706 | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | Adair County | SR-551 KNIFLEY RD | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | Barren County | US-31 E SCOTTSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | Laurel County | SR-363 KEAVY RD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Kentucky in 2021
Rankings
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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.