I-70 in Kansas: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 178 fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas killed 213 people, the most of any numbered road in Kansas. In 2024 there were 14 fatal crashes and 14 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 16 counties of Kansas. All fatal crashes in Kansas. I-70 in every state.
Deaths on I-70 in Kansas by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14 | 14 |
| 2023 | 15 | 16 |
| 2022 | 11 | 12 |
| 2021 | 26 | 27 |
| 2020 | 14 | 18 |
| 2019 | 15 | 19 |
| 2018 | 27 | 29 |
| 2017 | 23 | 34 |
| 2016 | 21 | 30 |
| 2015 | 12 | 14 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-70 in Kansas: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Wyandotte County had the most fatal crashes on I-70 from 2015 to 2024: 32, with 34 deaths. Wyandotte, Shawnee and Geary counties together held 37% of fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas from 2015 to 2024; the 15 listed held 98%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyandotte County | 3 | 32 | 34 |
| 2 | Shawnee County | 0 | 18 | 20 |
| 3 | Geary County | 2 | 16 | 22 |
| 4 | Gove County | 1 | 16 | 20 |
| 5 | Leavenworth County | 1 | 14 | 19 |
| 6 | Thomas County | 2 | 11 | 12 |
| 7 | Wabaunsee County | 0 | 9 | 13 |
| 8 | Dickinson County | 2 | 9 | 12 |
| 9 | Saline County | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Ellsworth County | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Russell County | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| 12 | Sherman County | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| 13 | Ellis County | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | Douglas County | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 15 | Riley County | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-70 in Kansas
The heaviest slot is Saturday, 4 to 8 pm, with 11 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 7 pm to 8 pm; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 5.1 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.1 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 6.2 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan9.6%
- Feb9.0%
- Mar10.1%
- Apr5.6%
- May3.9%
- Jun9.6%
- Jul7.9%
- Aug11.2%
- Sep11.2%
- Oct7.9%
- Nov6.7%
- Dec7.3%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-70 in Kansas
4.2 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 424 miles of I-70 in Kansas, against 4.5 for all interstates in Kansas. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Kansas and 146 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 39%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 26%, a rollover in 20%, a pedestrian in 11%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 69 | 39% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 47 | 26% |
| Rollover | 35 | 20% |
| Pedestrian | 19 | 11% |
| Other | 5 | 2.8% |
| Parked vehicle | 3 | 1.7% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas compare with the state
The largest difference from Kansas: from 2015 to 2024, 0.6% of fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas were at or near an intersection, against 25% across Kansas. Also above the Kansas share: unlit roads at night. Below it: motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Kansas. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 178 crashes.
| I-70 | Kansas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 67% | 63% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.6% | 25% | below the Kansas share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 35% | 26% | above the Kansas share |
| A drinking driver | 19% | 23% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| Speeding | 24% | 24% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 26% | 23% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 50% | 51% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| Hit-and-run | 2.2% | 3.7% | about the same as the Kansas share |
| A motorcycle involved | 8.4% | 14% | below the Kansas share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 9.9% | 8.3% | about the same as the Kansas share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-70 in Kansas?
- 178 fatal crashes killed 213 people on I-70 in Kansas from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 14 fatal crashes and 14 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-70 in Kansas do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Wyandotte County had the most fatal crashes on I-70 from 2015 to 2024: 32, with 34 deaths. Shawnee County was second with 18.
- When do fatal crashes on I-70 in Kansas happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Saturday, 4 to 8 pm, with 11 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-70 in Kansas per mile?
- 4.2 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 424 miles of road, against 4.5 for all interstates in Kansas. That ranks 2 of 2 interstates in Kansas and 146 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Kansas with a page
All fatal crashes in Kansas, with every road ranked.
Where the I-70 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-70 in Kansas (filed under 15 spellings, such as "I-70", "I-70 BLUE STAR MEM HWY", "I-70 E", "I-70 FWY"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.