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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2021 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | OLD PARIS RD | 1 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Carroll County | US-42 | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2021 | Ashland, Boyd County | US-23 | 2 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Elizabethtown, Hardin County | US-31W M DIXIE HWY | 1 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Webster County | US-41 | 1 |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Viper, Perry County | CR-DYKES BRANCH RD | 1 |
| Feb 17, 2021 | Warren County | SR-242 | 1 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | Dawson Springs, Hopkins County | I-69 | 1 |
| Feb 16, 2021 | Hart County | I-65 | 1 |
| Feb 15, 2021 | Olive Hill, Carter County | I-64 | 1 |
| Feb 15, 2021 | Rockcastle County | I-75 | 1 |
| Feb 15, 2021 | Marshall County | I-24 | 1 |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Ballard County | CR-STEWART RD | 1 |
| Feb 14, 2021 | Trimble County | SPRINGS CREEK LN | 2 |
| Feb 13, 2021 | Bardstown, Nelson County | SR-9002 | 1 |
| Feb 12, 2021 | Lee County | CR-MILL BRANCH | 1 |
| Feb 12, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-31 RAMP | 1 |
| Feb 11, 2021 | Elizabethtown, Hardin County | I-65 | 1 |
| Feb 10, 2021 | Marion County | US-68 | 1 |
| Feb 10, 2021 | Bowling Green, Warren County | SMALL HOUSE RD | 1 |
| Feb 10, 2021 | Trigg County | US-68 | 1 |
| Feb 9, 2021 | Boyle County | US-127 | 1 |
| Feb 9, 2021 | Oldham County | SR-1818 | 1 |
| Feb 9, 2021 | Henderson County | US-60 | 1 |
| Feb 7, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-60A | 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.