Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Kentucky
State in United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 707
- Fatal crashes
- 663
- Population
- 4.6M
In 2024, 707 people died in 663 fatal crashes in Kentucky. That was 13.1% fewer than in 2023 (814) and the fewest since 2014. The death rate was 15.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 11.5 in the United States. Kentucky had the 21st most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 13th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 13% of deaths, and 13% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
15.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.3 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
-13%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
814 deaths in 2023, 707 in 2024
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 863 | 751 |
| 1976 | 854 | 748 |
| 1977 | 940 | 796 |
| 1978 | 878 | 772 |
| 1979 | 896 | 795 |
| 1980 | 820 | 746 |
| 1981 | 812 | 720 |
| 1982 | 822 | 726 |
| 1983 | 778 | 690 |
| 1984 | 754 | 674 |
| 1985 | 712 | 624 |
| 1986 | 805 | 723 |
| 1987 | 844 | 768 |
| 1988 | 838 | 717 |
| 1989 | 772 | 686 |
| 1990 | 849 | 753 |
| 1991 | 826 | 722 |
| 1992 | 815 | 718 |
| 1993 | 871 | 761 |
| 1994 | 778 | 693 |
| 1995 | 849 | 732 |
| 1996 | 842 | 734 |
| 1997 | 857 | 774 |
| 1998 | 858 | 766 |
| 1999 | 814 | 724 |
| 2000 | 820 | 721 |
| 2001 | 845 | 762 |
| 2002 | 915 | 810 |
| 2003 | 928 | 845 |
| 2004 | 964 | 854 |
| 2005 | 985 | 885 |
| 2006 | 913 | 837 |
| 2007 | 864 | 803 |
| 2008 | 825 | 751 |
| 2009 | 791 | 730 |
| 2010 | 760 | 694 |
| 2011 | 720 | 669 |
| 2012 | 746 | 694 |
| 2013 | 638 | 590 |
| 2014 | 672 | 612 |
| 2015 | 761 | 694 |
| 2016 | 834 | 763 |
| 2017 | 782 | 721 |
| 2018 | 724 | 664 |
| 2019 | 732 | 667 |
| 2020 | 780 | 709 |
| 2021 | 806 | 734 |
| 2022 | 744 | 693 |
| 2023 | 814 | 767 |
| 2024 | 707 | 663 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.3 |
| 2001 | 20.8 |
| 2002 | 22.4 |
| 2003 | 22.5 |
| 2004 | 23.3 |
| 2005 | 23.6 |
| 2006 | 21.6 |
| 2007 | 20.3 |
| 2008 | 19.2 |
| 2009 | 18.3 |
| 2010 | 17.5 |
| 2011 | 16.5 |
| 2012 | 17.0 |
| 2013 | 14.5 |
| 2014 | 15.2 |
| 2015 | 17.2 |
| 2016 | 18.8 |
| 2017 | 17.6 |
| 2018 | 16.2 |
| 2019 | 16.4 |
| 2020 | 17.3 |
| 2021 | 17.9 |
| 2022 | 16.5 |
| 2023 | 17.9 |
| 2024 | 15.4 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
13%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About three-quarters of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 483 |
| Pedestrians | 95 |
| Motorcyclists | 118 |
| Cyclists | 11 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Kentucky | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 95 | 13% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists | 118 | 17% | 16% |
| Cyclists | 11 | 2% | 3% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 169 | 24% | 30% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 94 | 13% | 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
13%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About half the share in the United States: 28%
26%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 25.8% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 13.0% | 28.1% |
| At night | 48.1% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 32.0% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
48%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 90 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
32%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 115 |
| 1am | 105 |
| 2am | 98 |
| 3am | 80 |
| 4am | 76 |
| 5am | 100 |
| 6am | 131 |
| 7am | 116 |
| 8am | 106 |
| 9am | 113 |
| 10am | 101 |
| 11am | 121 |
| 12pm | 170 |
| 1pm | 176 |
| 2pm | 217 |
| 3pm | 211 |
| 4pm | 221 |
| 5pm | 214 |
| 6pm | 211 |
| 7pm | 190 |
| 8pm | 196 |
| 9pm | 182 |
| 10pm | 160 |
| 11pm | 153 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 526 |
| Mon | 475 |
| Tue | 459 |
| Wed | 492 |
| Thu | 499 |
| Fri | 572 |
| Sat | 543 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 241 |
| Feb | 216 |
| Mar | 264 |
| Apr | 278 |
| May | 304 |
| Jun | 315 |
| Jul | 335 |
| Aug | 375 |
| Sep | 326 |
| Oct | 340 |
| Nov | 308 |
| Dec | 264 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 2,492 |
| Cloudy | 638 |
| Rain | 323 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 45 |
| Snow | 26 |
| Other | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 1,905 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 1,023 |
| Dark - Lighted | 406 |
| Dusk | 81 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 76 |
| Dawn | 66 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-6583
- I-7565
- I-6464
- US-6060
- US-2753
- US-2343
- US-4233
- US-12731
- SR-1530
- US-6830
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 1,976 |
| SUVs | 1,041 |
| Pickup trucks | 1,015 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 548 |
| Motorcycles | 530 |
| Other vehicles | 178 |
| Vans | 177 |
| Buses | 18 |
| Other light trucks | 7 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado215
- Ford F-150174
- Toyota Camry120
- Freightliner Cascadia83
- GMC Sierra78
- Dodge Ram78
- Nissan Altima75
- Chevrolet Malibu73
- Ford Escape72
- Toyota Corolla70
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 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2021 | Berea, Madison County | SR-21 BIG HILL RD | 1 |
| Apr 29, 2021 | Mayfield, Graves County | SR-121 s CASTLEMEN BYPASS | 1 |
| Apr 28, 2021 | Breckinridge County | SR-477 | 1 |
| Apr 27, 2021 | Bledsoe, Harlan County | SR-221 | 1 |
| Apr 26, 2021 | Morgan County | SR-191 | 1 |
| Apr 26, 2021 | Benton, Marshall County | US-641 S | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | Bowling Green, Warren County | US-231 SCOTTSVILLE ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | Harlan County | SR-72 | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2021 | Morgan County | US-460 | 2 |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Daviess County | SR-81 | 1 |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Edmonson County | SR-259 | 2 |
| Apr 22, 2021 | Shelby County | SR-55 TAYLORSVILLE ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Laurel County | CR-PINE GROVE SCHOOL ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Warren County | US-231 MORGANTOWN RD | 1 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Trigg County | US-68 CANTON ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Green County | SR-61 HODGENSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Hardin, Marshall County | SR-402 AURORAL HWY | 1 |
| Apr 20, 2021 | Shively, Jefferson County | SR-1931 7TH ST RD | 1 |
| Apr 20, 2021 | Nelson County | US-31 E NEW HAVEN RD | 1 |
| Apr 20, 2021 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-907 3RD ST ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 20, 2021 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | US-25 OLD RICHMOND ROAD | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Logan County | US-68 BYPASS | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Bullitt County | SR-61 PRESTON HIGHWAY | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Stearns, McCreary County | SR-3258 RATTLESNAKE RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Apr 19, 2021 | Monticello, Wayne County | SR-90 | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Kentucky
Cities
Cities with at least 10 fatal crashes across the loaded years are listed.
Rankings
Get updates for Kentucky
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.