I-71 in Kentucky: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 62 fatal crashes on I-71 in Kentucky killed 68 people, the 19th most of 1,010 numbered roads in Kentucky. In 2024 there were 2 fatal crashes and 2 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 6 counties of Kentucky. All fatal crashes in Kentucky. I-71 in every state.
Deaths on I-71 in Kentucky by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 | 8 | 9 |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 |
| 2021 | 9 | 9 |
| 2020 | 6 | 7 |
| 2019 | 3 | 3 |
| 2018 | 6 | 8 |
| 2017 | 9 | 9 |
| 2016 | 10 | 12 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-71 in Kentucky: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Oldham County had the most fatal crashes on I-71 from 2015 to 2024: 15, with 18 deaths. Oldham, Jefferson and Carroll counties together held 69% of fatal crashes on I-71 in Kentucky from 2015 to 2024; the 5 listed held 97%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oldham County | 0 | 15 | 18 |
| 2 | Jefferson County | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| 3 | Carroll County | 1 | 13 | 14 |
| 4 | Henry County | 0 | 11 | 12 |
| 5 | Gallatin County | 0 | 6 | 7 |
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-71 in Kentucky
62 fatal crashes on I-71 in Kentucky from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 3 pm to 4 pm; the worst month is May.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 6.5 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 8.1 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 4.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.2%
- Feb3.2%
- Mar8.1%
- Apr6.5%
- May14.5%
- Jun6.5%
- Jul11.3%
- Aug12.9%
- Sep6.5%
- Oct12.9%
- Nov6.5%
- Dec8.1%
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-71 in Kentucky
8 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 78 miles of I-71 in Kentucky, against 8.9 for all interstates in Kentucky. That ranks 3 of 4 interstates in Kentucky and 89 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-71 in Kentucky first hit
The first harmful event was a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 47%; a collision with another vehicle in 31%, a rollover in 9.7%, a parked vehicle in 8.1%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 29 | 47% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 19 | 31% |
| Rollover | 6 | 9.7% |
| Parked vehicle | 5 | 8.1% |
| Other | 2 | 3.2% |
| Pedestrian | 1 | 1.6% |
| 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-71 in Kentucky compare with the state
The largest difference from Kentucky: from 2015 to 2024, 0.0% of fatal crashes on I-71 in Kentucky were at or near an intersection, against 20% across Kentucky. Below the Kentucky share: motorcycles and pedestrians. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Kentucky. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 62 crashes.
| I-71 | Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 58% | 66% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 20% | below the Kentucky share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 32% | 29% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| A drinking driver | 19% | 25% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| Speeding | 11% | 16% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 24% | 19% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 53% | 52% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| Hit-and-run | 1.6% | 4.3% | about the same as the Kentucky share |
| A motorcycle involved | 4.8% | 14% | below the Kentucky share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 2.9% | 11% | below the Kentucky 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-71 in Kentucky
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-71 in Kentucky?
- 62 fatal crashes killed 68 people on I-71 in Kentucky from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 2 fatal crashes and 2 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-71 in Kentucky do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Oldham County had the most fatal crashes on I-71 from 2015 to 2024: 15, with 18 deaths. Jefferson County was second with 15.
- How dangerous is I-71 in Kentucky per mile?
- 8 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 78 miles of road, against 8.9 for all interstates in Kentucky. That ranks 3 of 4 interstates in Kentucky and 89 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 Kentucky with a page
All fatal crashes in Kentucky, with every road ranked.
Where the I-71 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-71 in Kentucky (filed under 4 spellings, such as "I-71", "I-71 N", "I-71 NORTH", "I-71 S"). 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.