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 20, 2023 | Westview, Breckinridge County | SR-690 | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | MU- S UPPER STREET | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-61 PRESTON HIGHWAY | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2023 | Pineville, Bell County | US-119 | 1 |
| Dec 18, 2023 | Walton, Boone County | I-75 | 1 |
| Dec 18, 2023 | Boone County | I-75N | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Russell Springs, Russell County | SR-619 | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Prestonsburg, Floyd County | US-23 | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Eubank, Pulaski County | SR-1247 | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-27 NICHOLASVILLE RD | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2023 | Anderson County | US-62 BARDSTOWN RD | 1 |
| Dec 14, 2023 | Hart County | I-65 | 1 |
| Dec 14, 2023 | Breathitt County | SR-15 | 2 |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Bourbon County | US-68 MILLERSBURG RD | 1 |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Hazard, Perry County | SR-1146 LOST CREEK RD | 1 |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1703 NEWBURG RD | 1 |
| Dec 12, 2023 | McCracken County | SR-284 BENTON RD | 1 |
| Dec 10, 2023 | Casey County | SR-1522 UPPER BRUSH CREEK RD | 1 |
| Dec 10, 2023 | Calloway County | US-641 | 2 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | Mercer County | SR-152 BURGIN RD | 1 |
| Dec 8, 2023 | Breathitt County | CR-LICK BRANCH TALBERT RD | 1 |
| Dec 8, 2023 | Frankfort, Franklin County | US-60 VERSAILLES RD | 1 |
| Dec 7, 2023 | Oak Grove, Christian County | US-41A FORT CAMPBELL BLVD | 1 |
| Dec 7, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-907 3RD STREET RD | 1 |
| Dec 7, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-265 | 1 |
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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.