Kentucky truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Kentucky by year

Kentucky recorded 118 truck accident deaths in 2020, accounting for 15.1% of traffic deaths. The annual figures were 128 and 15.9% in 2021, 96 and 12.9% in 2022, 114 and 14.0% in 2023, and 86 and 12.2% in 2024. Deaths and their traffic-death share were highest in 2021 and lowest in 2024. The 2024 death count was 32 lower than in 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Kentucky's annual shares of national large-truck deaths were 2.4%, 2.2%, 1.6%, 2.1% and 1.6%, respectively. The highest share was in 2020; 2022 and 2024 tied for lowest. Across the period, Kentucky accounted for 2.0% of the national total of 27,553 deaths.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in Kentucky truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 110 Kentucky truck accident deaths, or 20.3%. People in other vehicles accounted for 395 deaths, or 72.9%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 37 deaths, or 6.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other or unknown nonoccupants make up the FARS nonoccupant grouping represented by that quoted label. Whether someone was outside a vehicle is not literally what the label tests. Occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles, can be included in the other category.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Kentucky's fatal crashes involved 543 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 307 trucks, or 56.5%. The category labeled single-unit and other large trucks contained 236 trucks. These figures count vehicles involved in fatal crashes, rather than the number of truck accident deaths or the number of crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating numbered 387, representing 71.3% of the large trucks counted. The records also identified 13 large trucks as jackknifed and 4 as carrying hazardous materials. A fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so truck counts and crash counts describe different measures.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

Interstates and crash types

Interstate truck accident deaths totaled 161 in Kentucky, accounting for 29.7% of the period's large-truck crash deaths. Within the listed route-coded subset, I-65 recorded 42 large-truck crash deaths, I-75 recorded 39, I-64 recorded 25, and I-24 recorded 21.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

All traffic deaths on those routes were 97, 98, 83 and 35, respectively. Those route totals are distinct from deaths in large-truck crashes. The listed routes do not represent a complete road network. Separately, Kentucky recorded 18 work-zone deaths in large-truck crashes during 2020 through 2024; this measure counts people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Jefferson County had the highest truck accident death count, 56, with an average annual rate of 1.4 per 100,000 residents. Barren County, McCracken County and Pike County each recorded 16 deaths; their respective rates were 7.1, 4.7 and 5.6.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Hart County recorded 10 deaths and the highest listed rate, 10.2. Fayette County also recorded 10 deaths, with the lowest listed rate, 0.6. These rows are a county subset. Counts and rates measure different things, and rates with few deaths are sensitive to each death.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How Kentucky compares with the national rate

Kentucky's average annual truck accident death rate was 2.4 per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The corresponding death counts were 542 in Kentucky and 27,553 nationally. Kentucky's rate was higher than the national rate.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The denominator sums annual Census Bureau population estimates across the period. It does not use only Kentucky's July 1, 2024 population of 4,584,046. These rates include no adjustment for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the grouping remains crash location, rather than the home address of anyone killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounts for 139 deaths and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; vehicles stopped in traffic remain in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime accounted for 373 truck accident deaths; nighttime, 169. Urban deaths numbered 172; rural, 369; land use was unreported for 1. Separately, crash configuration recorded 99 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 325 in two-vehicle crashes and 118 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration counts vehicles involved, distinct from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

People in the large truck who died in Kentucky included 68 killed in single-vehicle crashes and 42 killed in multiple-vehicle crashes during 2020 through 2024. These figures describe truck occupants specifically. They are a subset of truck accident deaths, which also include other people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

Kentucky's FARS figures cover fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. State and county assignments follow recorded crash locations, not home addresses. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.^[9][6][7][8]

For Kentucky, 2020 through 2023 use Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Average annual rates divide deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, and multiply by 100,000. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population is not that denominator. Rates do not adjust for mileage or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-24 truck accidents in Kentucky (2020-2024)
• I-64 truck accidents in Kentucky (2020-2024)
• I-65 truck accidents in Kentucky (2020-2024)
• I-75 truck accidents in Kentucky (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Kentucky car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Jefferson County, Kentucky (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)