Fatal crash profile · City
Traffic deaths in Memphis, Tennessee
City in Shelby County · Tennessee · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 188
- Fatal crashes
- 169
- Population
- 614.2K
In 2024, 188 people died in 169 fatal crashes in Memphis, Tennessee. That was 23.0% fewer than in 2023 (244) and the fewest in any year since 2020. The death rate was 30.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 23.8 in Shelby County, 16.5 in Tennessee and 11.5 in the United States. Between 2020 and 2024, 1,120 people died, an average of 224 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 23% of deaths, and 24% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
30.6
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.3 times the rate in Shelby County, Tennessee: 23.8
- About 1.9 times the rate in Tennessee: 16.5
- About 3 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
-23%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
244 deaths in 2023, 188 in 2024
- Shelby County, Tennessee: -16%
- Tennessee: -10%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 223 | 208 |
| 2021 | 238 | 214 |
| 2022 | 227 | 206 |
| 2023 | 244 | 220 |
| 2024 | 188 | 169 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 35.5 |
| 2021 | 38.2 |
| 2022 | 36.7 |
| 2023 | 39.6 |
| 2024 | 30.6 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
23%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About the same as the share in Shelby County, Tennessee: 22%
- About 1.8 times the share in Tennessee: 13%
- About 1.3 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 132 |
| Pedestrians | 44 |
| Motorcyclists | 12 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Memphis | Share in Shelby County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 44 | 23% | 22% |
| Motorcyclists | 12 | 6% | 6% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 0% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 60 | 32% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 52 | 28% | 28% |
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
24%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in Shelby County, Tennessee: 24%
- About 1.4 times the share in Tennessee: 17%
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 28%
23%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in Shelby County, Tennessee: 22%
- About the same as the share in Tennessee: 25%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Memphis | Shelby County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 23.1% | 21.5% | 25.1% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 23.7% | 24.1% | 17.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 62.1% | 58.5% | 47.4% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 36.1% | 35.4% | 34.5% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
62%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in Shelby County, Tennessee: 58%
- About 1.3 times the share in Tennessee: 47%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 54%
36%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in Shelby County, Tennessee: 35%
- About the same as the share in Tennessee: 34%
- About 1.1 times the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 53 |
| 1am | 49 |
| 2am | 47 |
| 3am | 35 |
| 4am | 24 |
| 5am | 32 |
| 6am | 27 |
| 7am | 21 |
| 8am | 16 |
| 9am | 18 |
| 10am | 19 |
| 11am | 25 |
| 12pm | 29 |
| 1pm | 22 |
| 2pm | 36 |
| 3pm | 41 |
| 4pm | 52 |
| 5pm | 57 |
| 6pm | 57 |
| 7pm | 71 |
| 8pm | 71 |
| 9pm | 78 |
| 10pm | 68 |
| 11pm | 54 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 167 |
| Mon | 124 |
| Tue | 116 |
| Wed | 129 |
| Thu | 139 |
| Fri | 172 |
| Sat | 170 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 72 |
| Feb | 68 |
| Mar | 71 |
| Apr | 87 |
| May | 87 |
| Jun | 91 |
| Jul | 95 |
| Aug | 89 |
| Sep | 100 |
| Oct | 89 |
| Nov | 77 |
| Dec | 91 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 879 |
| Rain | 110 |
| Cloudy | 21 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 3 |
| Snow | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Dark - Lighted | 549 |
| Daylight | 350 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 64 |
| Dusk | 26 |
| Dawn | 13 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 8 |
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-24053
- US-61 SR-14 S THIRD ST47
- I-4046
- SR-175 SHELBY DR37
- US-78 SR-4 LAMAR AVE32
- SR-14 JACKSON AVE30
- WINCHESTER RD27
- US-64/70 SR-1 SUMMER AVE24
- US-51 SR-3 ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD19
- MU-WINCHESTER RD15
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 894 |
| SUVs | 276 |
| Pickup trucks | 149 |
| Other vehicles | 138 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 92 |
| Motorcycles | 87 |
| Vans | 39 |
| Buses | 6 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Nissan Altima71
- Nissan Maxima45
- Toyota Camry38
- Chevrolet Malibu36
- Honda Accord36
- Dodge Charger33
- Ford F-15029
- Ford Fusion24
- Honda Civic24
- Toyota Corolla24
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 | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2024 | MU-RALEIGH LAGRANGE RD | 1 |
| Oct 27, 2024 | US-61 SR-14 S THIRD ST | 2 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | MU-FRAYSER BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2024 | SR-15 STAGE RD | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2024 | MU-MADISON AVE | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | MU-MACON RD | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | US-64/70 SR-1 SUMMER AVE | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2024 | SR-300 | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2024 | US-78 SR-278 DR MLK JR AVE | 1 |
| Oct 14, 2024 | I-40 | 1 |
| Oct 13, 2024 | US-72 SR-57 POPLAR AVE | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2024 | US-51 SR-3 S BELLEVUE BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 12, 2024 | MU-N WATKINS STREET | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2024 | MU-WINCHESTER RD | 1 |
| Oct 8, 2024 | MU-GETWELL RD | 2 |
| Oct 4, 2024 | MU-PARK AVE | 1 |
| Sep 29, 2024 | US-64/70 SR-23 UNION AVE | 1 |
| Sep 28, 2024 | SR-14 JACKSON AVE | 2 |
| Sep 27, 2024 | MU-JAMES RD | 1 |
| Sep 23, 2024 | MU-BELLEVUE BLVD | 1 |
| Sep 21, 2024 | I-240 | 2 |
| Sep 21, 2024 | US-72 SR-57 POPLAR AVE | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | MU-PEEBLES RD | 1 |
| Sep 19, 2024 | I-240 | 1 |
| Sep 17, 2024 | MU-GIVEN AVE | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
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.