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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | CR-MUD LN | 1 |
| Mar 16, 2023 | McLean County | US-431 | 1 |
| Mar 16, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1065 OUTER LOOP | 1 |
| Mar 15, 2023 | Calloway County | SR-121 | 1 |
| Mar 13, 2023 | Glasgow, Barren County | SR-839 NOBOB RD | 1 |
| Mar 12, 2023 | Mason County | SR-3056 | 1 |
| Mar 12, 2023 | McCracken County | SR-1954 JOHN PURYEAR DR | 1 |
| Mar 11, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-31 CLARK MEMORIAL BRG | 1 |
| Mar 10, 2023 | Caldwell County | US-62 | 1 |
| Mar 8, 2023 | Williamsburg, Whitley County | SR-92 | 1 |
| Mar 6, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-31 BARDSTOWN RD | 1 |
| Mar 6, 2023 | Prestonsburg, Floyd County | US-23 | 1 |
| Mar 6, 2023 | Clark County | CR-DONALDSON RD | 1 |
| Mar 5, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | W BROADWAY | 1 |
| Mar 5, 2023 | Owensboro, Daviess County | J R MILLER BLVD | 1 |
| Mar 5, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | US-DIXIE HWY | 1 |
| Mar 4, 2023 | Logan County | US-60 HOPKINSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Mar 4, 2023 | Louisville, Jefferson County | SR-1934 CANE RUN RD | 1 |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Logan County | US-431 | 1 |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Indian Hills, Jefferson County | CR-BLANKENBAKER LN | 1 |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Lexington-Fayette, Fayette County | THE LN | 1 |
| Mar 2, 2023 | Pikeville, Pike County | CR-LITTLE CREEK | 1 |
| Mar 2, 2023 | Somerset, Pulaski County | US-27 | 1 |
| Mar 2, 2023 | Breckinridge County | US-60 | 1 |
| Mar 1, 2023 | Owensboro, Daviess County | SR-54 E PARRISH AVE | 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.