These statistics lead government regulators and motorists to ponder what they can do to minimize their chances of becoming involved in a crash. One way to handle this situation is by clearly identifying where car accidents happen most. So, that’s what we’ll address below.
What National Statistics Say About Where Car Crashes Occur Most
An earlier U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Rural Safety Initiative study suggested that 55% of all fatal crashes occur in rural areas. Around the time these statistics were published, the rural population in our country was around 23%, giving the impression that the lower the population an area was, the higher the propensity for crashes.
Researchers often concluded that wrecks, and deadly ones at that, likely occurred more in rural areas than others because there was a stronger likelihood for motorists to:
- Drive faster than established speed limits
- Drive while under the influence of alcohol
- Operate their vehicle without a seat belt
- Make reckless driving choices, like attempting to pass on a 2-lane road with a short window of opportunity to do so
These rural crashes often prove deadly because awareness of collisions, especially if victims’ vehicles fall down an embankment after crossing into a soft shoulder, can often be delayed. Additionally, transporting victims from the crash scene to a hospital for life-saving care frequently takes longer than it does in more urbanized areas.
More recent research, such as data compiled by researchers among 3,280 patients for a Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery study, shows that at least 77% of accidents with injuries occurred within 10 miles of those individuals’ residences. Previous studies published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggested that many fatal crashes or ones involving serious injuries happen when motorists are within 25 miles of home.
Why does it seem that accidents often occur so close to home? Researchers believe it has to do with motorists feeling so overly familiar with their surroundings that they become disengaged or stop focusing on the task at hand and instead with what their plans are once home.
Where Do Car Accidents Happen in Kentucky?
Some of the most recent data published by the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC), in collaboration with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and other state agencies for 2021, shows that most auto accidents (109,291 to be exact) in our state occurred on public roads. In contrast, 21,917 crashes happened in parking lots or on private property.
Of those public roads where the accidents occurred, at least 35% of them occurred on Kentucky numbered roads. An estimated 47% of traffic fatalities occurred on these same roadways.
Another data point shows that some 21% of collisions occurred on city streets, whereas 7% of fatal ones happened there. Speaking of city driving, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet statistics show that 29% of all crashes in our state occurred at intersections in 2019.
Those crash statistics also reveal that certain types of car accidents occur in certain areas more than in others. For example, at least 43% of hit-and-run collisions were said to have happened on city streets, whereas 24% occurred on state routes and 14% on U.S. routes.
Interstates Where Kentucky Car Crashes Happen the Most
KTC data even goes as far as to break down collisions by Kentucky interstates or parkways, where just over 12,100 crashes occurred in 2021. That data shows that the top three interstates where accidents happened that year included:
- I-75: 3,893 car crashes occurred here
- I-65: 2,248 auto accidents happened here
- I-64: 1,575 passenger car collisions occurred here
Each of the other portions of the following interstates that run through Kentucky saw 718 or more accidents: I-24, I-71, I-264, and I-275. The following other interstates saw between 287 to 355 crashes in 2021: I-265, I-69, and I-471. I-165 only saw three collisions in 2021.
Kentucky Parkways That See the Most Car Wrecks
As for specific parkways, the 2021 data shows that at 307, the Wendell H. Ford Parkway in Western Kentucky is where most wrecks occurred. Next on the list was the William H. Natcher Parkway in Green River at 240, Martha L. Collins Parkway in Bluegrass at 209, the Louie B. Nunn Parkway in Cumberland at 196, and Julian M. Carroll Parkway in Purchase at 192. The Kentucky parkway with the least accidents in 2021 appears to have been the Audubon Parkway at 87.
Where Motor Vehicle Accidents Occur the Most in Lexington, KY
The Lexington Police Department publishes monthly traffic reports listing, among other details, collision data and maps, so public safety officials will perhaps know where to patrol more, and residents will know where to exercise additional caution when operating their vehicles. Some of our city’s roadways that routinely make it on the list as places where car accidents occur include:
- Man O’ War Boulevard where it intersects with Tates Creek Road, Nicholasville Road, or Richmond Road
- On West New Circle Road, right at the Exit 2 off ramp for U.S. 68 or Exit 19 for Kentucky 4 from U.S. 27
- In the area of Russell Cave Road that lies between W. New Circle Road (KY-4) and Park Place
- Nicholasville Road, specifically between Dundee Drive and Brigadoon Parkway or Southland Drive/Jesselin Drive and Zandale Drive/West Zandale Drive
- At the Nicholasville Road, Malabu Drive, and Pasadena Drive connector
- Near the intersection of Tates Creek Road and E. New Circle Road (also known as KY-4)
Seeking Help After a Car Crash Has Hurt You
In an ideal world, accidents wouldn’t happen, and no one would unnecessarily get hurt or lose their life. However, that’s not the world we live in.
Fortunately, our Kentucky legal system allows those car accident victims left with exorbitant losses after their crashes to seek damages, which amounts to monetary compensation, from the person who wronged them. Proving negligence occurred isn’t easy, which is why it can be beneficial to work with legal counsel like our car accident attorneys at Golden Law Office in pursuing justice in your case.
Meeting with a member of our legal team for a free consultation is risk-free. So, reach out to us to have that very important conversation with us about your rights and the next best steps today.
