I-81 in Tennessee: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 61 fatal crashes on I-81 in Tennessee killed 71 people, the 29th most of 396 numbered roads in Tennessee. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 5 counties of Tennessee. All fatal crashes in Tennessee. I-81 in every state.
Deaths on I-81 in Tennessee by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2 | 5 |
| 2022 | 8 | 9 |
| 2021 | 10 | 10 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 |
| 2019 | 6 | 9 |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 |
| 2017 | 7 | 8 |
| 2016 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | 5 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-81 in Tennessee: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Sullivan County had the most fatal crashes on I-81 from 2015 to 2024: 27, with 34 deaths. Sullivan, Greene and Hamblen counties together held 89% of fatal crashes on I-81 in Tennessee from 2015 to 2024; the 4 listed held 97%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sullivan County | 2 | 27 | 34 |
| 2 | Greene County | 2 | 20 | 20 |
| 3 | Hamblen County | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| 4 | Washington County | 0 | 5 | 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-81 in Tennessee
58 fatal crashes on I-81 in Tennessee 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 1 pm to 2 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 | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 10.3 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 1.7 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 6.9 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 6.9 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.2 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.3%
- Feb4.9%
- Mar11.5%
- Apr6.6%
- May19.7%
- Jun8.2%
- Jul8.2%
- Aug4.9%
- Sep6.6%
- Oct9.8%
- Nov6.6%
- Dec9.8%
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-81 in Tennessee
8.1 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 76 miles of I-81 in Tennessee, against 12 for all interstates in Tennessee. That ranks 5 of 6 interstates in Tennessee and 88 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-81 in Tennessee first hit
The first harmful event was a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 49%; a collision with another vehicle in 28%, a pedestrian in 8.2%, a rollover in 4.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 30 | 49% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 17 | 28% |
| Pedestrian | 5 | 8.2% |
| Other | 4 | 6.6% |
| Rollover | 3 | 4.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 2 | 3.3% |
| 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-81 in Tennessee compare with the state
The largest difference from Tennessee: from 2015 to 2024, 0.0% of fatal crashes on I-81 in Tennessee were at or near an intersection, against 19% across Tennessee. Below the Tennessee share: speeding and unbelted occupants. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Tennessee. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 61 crashes.
| I-81 | Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 53% | 43% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 19% | below the Tennessee share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 35% | 26% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A drinking driver | 30% | 25% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Speeding | 6.6% | 17% | below the Tennessee share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 1.6% | 6.7% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 35% | 49% | below the Tennessee share |
| Hit-and-run | 3.3% | 6.6% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A motorcycle involved | 9.8% | 15% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 14% | 13% | about the same as the Tennessee 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-81 in Tennessee
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-81 in Tennessee?
- 61 fatal crashes killed 71 people on I-81 in Tennessee from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 5 fatal crashes and 5 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-81 in Tennessee do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Sullivan County had the most fatal crashes on I-81 from 2015 to 2024: 27, with 34 deaths. Greene County was second with 20.
- How dangerous is I-81 in Tennessee per mile?
- 8.1 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 76 miles of road, against 12 for all interstates in Tennessee. That ranks 5 of 6 interstates in Tennessee and 88 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 Tennessee with a page
- I-24
- I-240
- I-26
- I-40
- I-65
- I-75
- I-840
- State Highway 111
- State Highway 14
- State Highway 175
- State Highway 33
- State Highway 62
All fatal crashes in Tennessee, with every road ranked.
Where the I-81 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-81 in Tennessee. 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.