Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Kentucky in 2023
State in United States
- Deaths, 2023
- 814
- Fatal crashes
- 767
- Population
- 4.5M
In 2023, 814 people died in 767 fatal crashes in Kentucky, about 2 a day. That was 9.4% more than in 2022 (744) and the most since 2016. The death rate was 17.9 per 100,000 residents, compared with 12.2 in the United States. Kentucky had the 18th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 9th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 15% of deaths, and 14% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
15%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 571 |
| Pedestrians | 121 |
| Motorcyclists | 106 |
| Cyclists | 16 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Kentucky | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 121 | 15% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists | 106 | 13% | 16% |
| Cyclists | 16 | 2% | 3% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 192 | 24% | 30% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 119 | 15% | 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
14%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About half the share in the United States: 28%
25%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 25.0% | 25.6% |
| Alcohol-involved | 14.3% | 28.2% |
| At night | 46.9% | 54.1% |
| At weekends | 30.0% | 33.5% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
47%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
30%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 34%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 20 |
| 1am | 22 |
| 2am | 28 |
| 3am | 18 |
| 4am | 14 |
| 5am | 23 |
| 6am | 24 |
| 7am | 23 |
| 8am | 16 |
| 9am | 34 |
| 10am | 15 |
| 11am | 25 |
| 12pm | 35 |
| 1pm | 30 |
| 2pm | 42 |
| 3pm | 49 |
| 4pm | 52 |
| 5pm | 61 |
| 6pm | 45 |
| 7pm | 32 |
| 8pm | 42 |
| 9pm | 43 |
| 10pm | 36 |
| 11pm | 37 |
All crashes 2023.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 119 |
| Mon | 103 |
| Tue | 95 |
| Wed | 92 |
| Thu | 112 |
| Fri | 135 |
| Sat | 111 |
All crashes 2023.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 57 |
| Feb | 48 |
| Mar | 44 |
| Apr | 65 |
| May | 66 |
| Jun | 64 |
| Jul | 64 |
| Aug | 89 |
| Sep | 71 |
| Oct | 65 |
| Nov | 69 |
| Dec | 65 |
All crashes 2023.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 553 |
| Cloudy | 137 |
| Rain | 57 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 9 |
| Snow | 2 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 2 |
All crashes 2023. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 402 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 206 |
| Dark - Lighted | 105 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 20 |
| Dusk | 17 |
| Dawn | 16 |
All crashes 2023. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2023
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- US-6013
- I-6511
- US-2310
- I-2649
- I-759
- US-31 DIXIE HWY9
- SR-928
- US-278
- US-428
- US-1277
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 404 |
| SUVs | 231 |
| Pickup trucks | 219 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 114 |
| Motorcycles | 110 |
| Vans | 35 |
| Other vehicles | 34 |
| Buses | 4 |
| Other light trucks | 3 |
All crashes 2023.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado39
- Ford F-15031
- Dodge Ram27
- Toyota Camry27
- Freightliner Cascadia19
- Ford Escape17
- Ford Focus17
- GMC Sierra17
- Nissan Altima17
- Ford Ranger16
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 2023. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1931 ST ANDREWS CHURCH RD | 1 |
| Dec 31, 2023 | Butler County | SR-79 RUSSELLVILLE RD | 1 |
| Dec 29, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | SR-1974 TATES CREEK RD | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | Bowling Green, Warren County | US-231 SCOTTSVILLE RD | 2 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | Marion County | CR-SPORTSMAN LAKE RD | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2023 | Florence, Boone County | SR-842 HOUSTON RD | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2023 | Lincoln County | CR-COMMUNITY CENTER DR | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2023 | Daviess County | US-60 | 2 |
| Dec 26, 2023 | Butler County | SR-340 | 1 |
| Dec 26, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | SR-4 NEW CIRCLE RD | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2023 | Cynthiana, Harrison County | US-27X N MAIN STREET | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2023 | Belton, Muhlenberg County | SR-2270 | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2023 | Boone County | SR-237 PLEASANT VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2023 | Georgetown, Scott County | US-32 CHERRY BLOSSOM WAY | 1 |
| Dec 23, 2023 | Allen County | SR-2160 OLD HARTSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Dec 23, 2023 | Adair County | SR-76 MILLERFIELD RD | 1 |
| Dec 22, 2023 | Casey County | SR-206 | 1 |
| Dec 22, 2023 | Madison County | SR-595 POOSEY RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Dec 22, 2023 | Hopkinsville, Christian County | MU-BILL BRYAN BLVD | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Nelson County | SR-523 | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Whitley County | SR-92 | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1020 S 3RD STREET | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Seco, Letcher County | SR-805 | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | MU- S 4TH STREET | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2023 | Somerset, Pulaski County | SR-914 SOUTHEASTERN BYPASS | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Kentucky in 2023
Rankings
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2023. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.