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 14, 2023 | Gallatin County | I-71 N | 2 |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Ballard County | US-60 BARLOW RD | 1 |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-25 OLD RICHMOND RD | 1 |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Bowling Green, Warren County | US-31W LOUISVILLE RD | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2023 | Green County | SR-1464 | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2023 | Williamsburg, Whitley County | SR-92 | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1230 LOWER RIVER RD | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2023 | Owensboro, Daviess County | SR-54 E PARRISH AVE | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2023 | Burkesville, Cumberland County | SR-90 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1020 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2023 | Bardstown, Nelson County | SR-9002 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2023 | Russell County | SR-55 | 1 |
| Oct 9, 2023 | Hebron, Boone County | I-275 W | 1 |
| Oct 8, 2023 | Webster County | I-69 N | 1 |
| Oct 7, 2023 | Calloway County | TS-FORT HEIMAN RD | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2023 | Nelson County | SR-84 STILES RD | 1 |
| Oct 6, 2023 | Spencer County | SR-48 HIGHGROVE RD | 1 |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Columbia, Adair County | SR-9008 | 1 |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Webster County | SR-56 | 1 |
| Oct 5, 2023 | Rockcastle County | I-75 N | 1 |
| Oct 4, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | I-71 | 1 |
| Oct 3, 2023 | Barren County | CR-GROVE CEMETERY RD | 1 |
| Oct 3, 2023 | Covington, Kenton County | SR-16 WINSTON AVE | 1 |
| Oct 2, 2023 | Erlanger, Kenton County | US-25 DIXIE HWY | 1 |
| Sep 30, 2023 | Christian County | REST AREA PARKING LOT WAY | 1 |
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.