Officials from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reported that the number of highway fatalities last year was the lowest it has been in ten years. 707 fatalities were reported in 2024 as opposed to the 813 deaths in 2023.
Governor Andy Beshear said while this is an improvement for highway safety, the Commonwealth still strives to make the roads a safer place for everybody.
“We saw the lowest numbers of lives lost to crashes that we’ve seen in ten years. That means fewer families have had to deal with a painful loss. While that is a great sign, we know that each person lost on our roadways is a tragedy because each is a child of God taken far too soon,” said Beshear.
According to the KYTC’s Office of Highway Safety and Kentucky State Police, 47% of the 707 fatalities were not wearing seatbelts. Officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of fatal injury in the event of a crash by half.
Beshear added, there are several steps people can take to ensure their safety on the roads.
“We want to ensure all of our families are safe when they commute to work, school, the grocery store, or church, and we want to get that fatality number down to zero,” said Beshear. “So, let’s keep doing all the work we can to prevent tragedies like buckling up, putting the phone down, driving sober, and following the speed limit.”
Further reporting from the KYTC showed so far this year there have been fewer highway fatalities than the same time last year. This suggests that the total number of highway fatalities in 2025 may be lower than last year.