Kentucky Car Accident Statistics

If Kentuckians want safe roads, local drivers need to be vigilant about the hazards of reckless driving.

A study of car accidents constructed from the last few years of statistics was recently commissioned to better grasp just how bad Kentucky's accident situation is.

How Many Car Accidents Does the State See?

The most recent results, from the Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts report for 2022, reported just over 130k car accidents happened within Kentucky. This report also added that 1 in 22 (~4.5%) Kentucky drivers were involved in some sort of traffic collision in that year. Looking at the years 2019 through 2022, it is obvious that the pandemic had a positive impact on how many automotive accidents happened within the state (119,449). In other relatively good news, it seems that while the numbers have risen since then (131,208 in 2021 and 130,042 in 2022), they remain below the 156,758 reported accidents for 2019. Fewer people are suffering accidents than before, but these numbers are still too high.

How Many Automotive Fatalities Occur Each Year in Kentucky?

While fewer lives were lost in 2022 than in 2021, by around 5%, the numbers are still too high for any family whose loved one made the list because someone behind the wheel of a vehicle had their priorities misplaced. 744 people lost their lives due to Kentucky traffic collisions in 2022, 265 of which were due to drivers operating under the influence of drugs and another 153 were under the influence of alcohol (it remains unclear how many incidents involved a driver under the influence of both substances).

This year, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety, detailed that 2023 saw 813 deaths on Kentucky roads. Between the years of 2019 and 2022, 2019 saw the most automotive injuries (33,686) yet 2022 saw the most fatalities (816).

How Many Automotive Accidents Happen on Kentucky's Interstates?

According to the KSP, Kentucky interstates were host to over 12k collisions (and 76 fatalities) in 2022, with Interstate 75 seeing the bulk of them.

1. I-75 saw 3,761 accidents and 16 fatalities.

2. I-65 saw 2,381 accidents and 18 fatalities.

3. I-64 saw 1,619 accidents and 17 fatalities

Findings from these three routes show that while accidents scale with the frequency of use, automotive fatalities resulting from those accidents happen equally as often.

How Do Kentucky's Auto Accident Statistics Compare to the Rest of the Nation?

According to findings by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA), Kentucky ranked 21st among the 50 states regarding automotive fatalities in 2022 with only 749. Be mindful that there is some variance between the NHTSA's results and the state's reports. As for the states at the top of the list, Texas came in first place at 4,496, followed by California with 4,407, then Florida (3,652), then Georgia at 1,786, nearly double Kentucky's results.

On a more positive note, WKYT-TV news reported that Kentucky ranked among the states with the fewest fatalities as a result of speeding for 2023; NHTSA statistics indicated that only Hawaii and Idaho had fewer.

What Does This All Mean?

It is hoped that understanding the weight of these numbers will re-instill a desire to drive safely and responsibly among drivers in Kentucky, be they locals, visiting, or passing through. It is a proven fact that when drivers keep their focus on driving safely and responsively then the rate of accidents goes down and more people are able to make it to where they were going without incident.