Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Tennessee in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 1,327
- Fatal crashes
- 1,229
- Population
- 7M
In 2021, 1,327 people died in 1,229 fatal crashes in Tennessee, about 4 a day. That was 9.0% more than in 2020 (1,217) and the most since 2004. The death rate was 19.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Tennessee had the 8th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 9th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 13% of deaths, and 16% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
13%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About three-quarters of the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 974 |
| Pedestrians | 177 |
| Motorcyclists | 169 |
| Cyclists | 7 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Tennessee | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 177 | 13% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 169 | 13% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 7 | 1% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 350 | 26% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 232 | 17% | 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
16%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 60 percent of 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: 26%
| Category | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 25.5% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 16.3% | 28.2% |
| At night | 46.9% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 30.0% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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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 the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 35 |
| 1am | 41 |
| 2am | 32 |
| 3am | 34 |
| 4am | 25 |
| 5am | 44 |
| 6am | 31 |
| 7am | 34 |
| 8am | 29 |
| 9am | 53 |
| 10am | 52 |
| 11am | 50 |
| 12pm | 53 |
| 1pm | 40 |
| 2pm | 58 |
| 3pm | 63 |
| 4pm | 73 |
| 5pm | 61 |
| 6pm | 69 |
| 7pm | 60 |
| 8pm | 63 |
| 9pm | 74 |
| 10pm | 50 |
| 11pm | 49 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 168 |
| Mon | 176 |
| Tue | 147 |
| Wed | 163 |
| Thu | 182 |
| Fri | 192 |
| Sat | 201 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 87 |
| Feb | 78 |
| Mar | 91 |
| Apr | 116 |
| May | 106 |
| Jun | 140 |
| Jul | 90 |
| Aug | 114 |
| Sep | 101 |
| Oct | 122 |
| Nov | 94 |
| Dec | 90 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 937 |
| Cloudy | 144 |
| Rain | 99 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 9 |
| Snow | 5 |
| Other | 2 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 632 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 303 |
| Dark - Lighted | 233 |
| Dusk | 30 |
| Dawn | 15 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 5 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-4071
- I-2438
- I-7517
- I-24013
- I-6512
- I-8110
- US-51 SR-3 ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD9
- US-61 SR-14 S THIRD ST9
- SR-175 SHELBY DR8
- US-78 SR-4 LAMAR AVE7
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 772 |
| SUVs | 352 |
| Pickup trucks | 329 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 186 |
| Motorcycles | 171 |
| Other vehicles | 80 |
| Vans | 68 |
| Buses | 8 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Ford F-15063
- Chevrolet Silverado56
- Nissan Altima47
- Toyota Camry38
- Honda Accord38
- Dodge Ram36
- Honda Civic34
- Freightliner Cascadia34
- GMC Sierra30
- Ford Fusion25
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 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 2021 | Bradley County | US-64/74 SR-40 WATERLEVEL HWY | 1 |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | I-75 US-11/64 | 1 |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Benton County | I-40 | 1 |
| Feb 24, 2021 | Memphis, Shelby County | US-51 SR-3 THOMAS ST | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Madison County | I-40 | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Knox County | US-11E/25W SR-9 ASHEVILLE HWY | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Coffee County | SR-53 WOODBURY HWY | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Nashville, Davidson County | I-24 | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Knoxville, Knox County | SR-332 SORTHSHORE DR | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Memphis, Shelby County | SR-14 JACKSON AVE | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Nashville, Davidson County | US-31/41 SR-11 DICKERSON PKE | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Roane County | US-70 SR-1 KINGSTON HWY | 1 |
| Feb 23, 2021 | Lawrence County | US-64 SR-15 | 1 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Henderson County | SR-104 | 1 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Knoxville, Knox County | US-441 SR-33 N BROADWAY | 1 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Meigs County | CR-N NOPONE VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Feb 22, 2021 | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | DODDS AVE | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2021 | Cheatham County | US-41A SR-112 | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2021 | Kodak, Sevier County | I-40 | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2021 | Lebanon, Wilson County | US-70BR SR-24 W MAIN ST | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2021 | Washington County | I-81 | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2021 | Rutherford County | CR-BUNKER HILL RD | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2021 | Cookeville, Putnam County | I-40 | 1 |
| Feb 20, 2021 | Jefferson County | I-81 | 1 |
| Feb 19, 2021 | Nashville, Davidson County | SR-155 BRILEY PKWY | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Tennessee in 2021
Rankings
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.