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 |
Embed
| 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.
Embed
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.
Embed
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 119 |
| Mon | 103 |
| Tue | 95 |
| Wed | 92 |
| Thu | 112 |
| Fri | 135 |
| Sat | 111 |
All crashes 2023.
Embed
| 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.
Embed
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.
Embed
| 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.
Embed
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.
Embed
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
The map loads when you scroll to it. It needs JavaScript.
Fatal crashes in 2023. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2023 | Grayson County | SR-88 PEONIA RD | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-60 WINCHESTER RD | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2023 | Leslie County | SR-9006 | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2023 | Hopkins County | US-62 NORTONVILLE RD | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2023 | Mount Washington, Bullitt County | MU-BEECHWOOD LANE | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2023 | Pineville, Bell County | SR-987 BROWNIES CREEK | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Logan County | CR-MORTON RD | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Montgomery County | US-60 WINCHESTER RD | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Morgan County | US-460 | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2023 | Laurel County | I-75 S | 1 |
| Oct 19, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-264 | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2023 | Inez, Martin County | SR-3 | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2023 | Henderson, Henderson County | MU-GREEN STREET | 1 |
| Oct 18, 2023 | Salyersville, Magoffin County | SR-9009 | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1447 WESTPORT RD | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2023 | Carroll County | SR-1492 FAIRVIEW RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2023 | Hagerhill, Johnson County | SR-1428 DEPOT RD | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2023 | Marion, Crittenden County | US-60 N MAIN STREET | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2023 | Warren County | I-65 N | 1 |
| Oct 16, 2023 | Parkway Village, Jefferson County | SR-61 PRESTON HWY | 1 |
| Oct 16, 2023 | Annville, Jackson County | SR-30 | 1 |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Grayson County | SR-259 ANNETA RD | 1 |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Ohio County | SR-54 | 1 |
| Oct 15, 2023 | Hardin County | I-65 | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2023 | Montgomery County | SR-213 | 2 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Kentucky in 2023
Rankings
Get updates for Kentucky
We'll email you when NHTSA publishes new data for Kentucky, usually about once a year. We'll send a link to confirm your address first. No tracking and no sharing, and every email has a link to unsubscribe.
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.