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 5, 2023 | Morehead, Rowan County | SR-32 FLEMINGSBURG RD | 1 |
| Nov 5, 2023 | Madisonville, Hopkins County | SR-481 GRAPEVINE RD | 1 |
| Nov 5, 2023 | Richmond, Madison County | SR-169 TATES CREEK RD | 1 |
| Nov 4, 2023 | McCracken County | US-45 | 1 |
| Nov 3, 2023 | Bracken County | SR-19 POWERSVILLE HARRISON CO | 1 |
| Nov 3, 2023 | Owsley County | SR-30 | 1 |
| Nov 2, 2023 | Franklin, Simpson County | SR-1008 N INDUSTRIAL BYPASS | 1 |
| Nov 2, 2023 | Somerset, Pulaski County | SR-914 SOUTHEASTERN BYPASS | 1 |
| Nov 1, 2023 | Salvisa, Mercer County | US-127 LOUISVILLE RD | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2023 | Wilder, Campbell County | I-275 E | 1 |
| Oct 31, 2023 | Allen County | US-231 VETERANS MEMORIAL PARKW | 2 |
| Oct 30, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1065 | 1 |
| Oct 30, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-31W DIXIE HWY | 1 |
| Oct 30, 2023 | Owsley County | SR-11 | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2023 | Webster County | US-41A | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2023 | Pine Knot, McCreary County | SR-92 | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2023 | Laurel County | CR-JIM GARLAND RD | 1 |
| Oct 28, 2023 | Leslie County | SR-3427 WOLF CREEK RD | 1 |
| Oct 27, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1865 TAYLOR BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Hart County | I-65 SOUTH | 1 |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-150 W BROADWAY | 1 |
| Oct 26, 2023 | Henderson, Henderson County | MU-PRINGLE STREET | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2023 | Radcliff, Hardin County | US-31W DIXIE HWY | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | MU-ALUMNI DRIVE | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2023 | Sharpsburg, Bath County | SR-11 | 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.