Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Tennessee in 2020
State in United States
- Deaths, 2020
- 1,217
- Fatal crashes
- 1,119
- Population
- 6.9M
In 2020, 1,217 people died in 1,119 fatal crashes in Tennessee, about 3 a day. The death rate was 17.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 11.8 in the United States. Tennessee had the 7th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 9th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 14% of deaths, and 15% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
14%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 881 |
| Pedestrians | 172 |
| Motorcyclists | 151 |
| Cyclists | 13 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Tennessee | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 172 | 14% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 151 | 12% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 13 | 1% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 325 | 27% | 30% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 189 | 16% | 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
15%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About half the share in the United States: 29%
24%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 27%
| Category | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 24.0% | 26.7% |
| Alcohol-involved | 15.3% | 28.6% |
| At night | 50.6% | 53.4% |
| At weekends | 30.0% | 32.9% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
51%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in the United States: 53%
30%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 52 |
| 1am | 29 |
| 2am | 22 |
| 3am | 27 |
| 4am | 23 |
| 5am | 28 |
| 6am | 25 |
| 7am | 26 |
| 8am | 26 |
| 9am | 18 |
| 10am | 37 |
| 11am | 33 |
| 12pm | 47 |
| 1pm | 49 |
| 2pm | 51 |
| 3pm | 62 |
| 4pm | 59 |
| 5pm | 71 |
| 6pm | 67 |
| 7pm | 67 |
| 8pm | 68 |
| 9pm | 69 |
| 10pm | 65 |
| 11pm | 49 |
All crashes 2020.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 147 |
| Mon | 148 |
| Tue | 133 |
| Wed | 147 |
| Thu | 178 |
| Fri | 177 |
| Sat | 189 |
All crashes 2020.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 69 |
| Feb | 70 |
| Mar | 72 |
| Apr | 74 |
| May | 82 |
| Jun | 109 |
| Jul | 105 |
| Aug | 118 |
| Sep | 108 |
| Oct | 119 |
| Nov | 90 |
| Dec | 103 |
All crashes 2020.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 868 |
| Rain | 116 |
| Cloudy | 108 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 5 |
| Snow | 2 |
| Sleet or Hail | 1 |
All crashes 2020. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 509 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 284 |
| Dark - Lighted | 247 |
| Dusk | 38 |
| Dawn | 20 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 8 |
All crashes 2020. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-4070
- I-2435
- I-6517
- WINCHESTER RD13
- SR-175 SHELBY DR9
- I-759
- US-78 SR-4 LAMAR AVE8
- CHELSEA AVE8
- I-2407
- SR-587
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 674 |
| Pickup trucks | 300 |
| SUVs | 294 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 166 |
| Motorcycles | 154 |
| Other vehicles | 87 |
| Vans | 42 |
| Buses | 4 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2020.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado63
- Ford F-15050
- Nissan Altima43
- Toyota Camry30
- GMC Sierra29
- Nissan Sentra26
- Honda Accord26
- Chevrolet Impala26
- Honda Civic22
- Ford Ranger21
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 2020. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2020 | Maynardville, Union County | SR-33 MAYNARDVILLE HWY | 1 |
| Nov 11, 2020 | Dyersburg, Dyer County | I-155 US-412 | 1 |
| Nov 11, 2020 | Nashville, Davidson County | SR-45 OLD HICKORY BLVD | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2020 | Bean Station, Grainger County | US-25E SR-32 | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2020 | Madison County | US-412E SR-20 | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2020 | Elizabethton, Carter County | SR-91 ELIZABETHTON HWY | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Polk County | US-64/74 SR-40 | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Marshall County | CR-YELL RD | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County | WALES AVE | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Putnam County | SR-135 BURGESS FALLS RD | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County | I-240 | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Knox County | CR-E HENDRON CHAPEL DR | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Stewart County | CR-DUNAWAY RIDGE RD | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Gainesboro, Jackson County | CR-STACY CEMETERY RD | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Grainger County | CR-OWL HOLE GAP RD | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Fayette County | CR-IVY DR | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Hickman County | SR-48 | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County | JOSEPHINE ST | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County | ROCKCREEK PKWY | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County | HOLMES RD | 1 |
| Nov 7, 2020 | Trenton, Gibson County | US-45 SR-5 | 2 |
| Nov 7, 2020 | Anderson County | I-75 | 1 |
| Nov 7, 2020 | Coopertown, Robertson County | SR-49 | 1 |
| Nov 7, 2020 | McMinn County | CR-350 | 1 |
| Nov 7, 2020 | Smith County | CR-HORSESHOE BEND LN | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Tennessee in 2020
Rankings
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.