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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22, 2023 | Danville, Boyle County | US-150B S DANVILLE BYPASS | 1 |
| Nov 22, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | MU-SOUTHWESTERN PARKWAY | 1 |
| Nov 22, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1934 CANE RUN RD | 1 |
| Nov 22, 2023 | Princeton, Caldwell County | MU-OLD MADISONVILLE RD | 1 |
| Nov 22, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-264 RAMP | 1 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | Prestonville, Carroll County | US-42 | 1 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | Rockcastle County | I-75 N | 1 |
| Nov 21, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-27 N BROADWAY | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2023 | Shepherdsville, Bullitt County | MU-OHM DR | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2023 | Hopkins County | SR-630 MANITOU RD | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | MU-CRITTENDEN DR | 1 |
| Nov 20, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | I-75 NB | 1 |
| Nov 19, 2023 | Bullitt County | I-65 NB | 1 |
| Nov 19, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | SR-4 E NEW CIRCLE RD | 1 |
| Nov 19, 2023 | Oldham County | SR-393 | 1 |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-265 W | 1 |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Logan County | SR-100 FRANKLIN RD | 1 |
| Nov 18, 2023 | Henderson, Henderson County | US-60 GREEN STREET | 1 |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Bowling Green, Warren County | US-231 CAMPBELL LANE | 1 |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Henry County | SR-22 BALLRDSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Breckinridge County | SR-86 | 3 |
| Nov 17, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-25 RICHMOND RD | 1 |
| Nov 16, 2023 | Muhlenberg County | SR-1379 | 1 |
| Nov 15, 2023 | Hopkins County | SR-9001 | 1 |
| Nov 14, 2023 | Bell County | US-25E | 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.