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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2021 | Stearns, McCreary County | SR-3258 RATTLESNAKE RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Monticello, Wayne County | SR-90 | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Williamstown, Grant County | I-75 | 3 |
| Apr 18, 2021 | Kenton County | I-75 S | 1 |
| Apr 17, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-264 | 1 |
| Apr 17, 2021 | Elkhorn City, Pike County | CR-YELLOW HILL ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 17, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1934 GREENBELT HWY | 1 |
| Apr 16, 2021 | Liberty, Casey County | SR-70 | 2 |
| Apr 15, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-264 E | 1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | Meade County | SR-1882 FORT AVE | 1 |
| Apr 13, 2021 | Laurel County | SR-229 BARBOURVILLE RD | 1 |
| Apr 13, 2021 | Richmond, Madison County | US-25 ROBERT R MARTIN BYPASS | 1 |
| Apr 12, 2021 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | SR-4 W NEW CIRCLE ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 11, 2021 | Hancock County | SR-1389 | 1 |
| Apr 11, 2021 | Shively, Jefferson County | US-31 DIXIE DRIVE | 1 |
| Apr 11, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-60 SHELBYVILLE RD | 1 |
| Apr 10, 2021 | Erlanger, Kenton County | KENTONS LANDING RD | 1 |
| Apr 10, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1703 NEWBURG ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | Wolfe County | SR-15 | 2 |
| Apr 7, 2021 | London, Laurel County | SR-80 | 1 |
| Apr 7, 2021 | Hardin, Marshall County | US-641 | 1 |
| Apr 7, 2021 | Bullitt County | SR-1020 CORAL RIDGE ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 7, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-265 GENE SNYDER FREEWAY | 1 |
| Apr 6, 2021 | Oak Grove, Christian County | HUGH HUNTER ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 6, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | S PARK ROAD | 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.