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US Route 72
Fatal crashes 2015–2024 68Deaths 76Counties 5Latest data year 2024
FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024. The route is the trafficway recorded for each crash (FARS TWAY_ID); the same route number in another state has its own page.
Between 2015 and 2024, FARS records 68 fatal crashes on US Route 72 in Alabama, with 76 deaths.
That is 0.8% of the 8,797 fatal crashes in Alabama over the same years. The ten-year crash count rose 6700% from 1 in 2005–2014 to 68 in 2015–2024.
The crashes were concentrated in Limestone County (23), Jackson County (22) and Madison County (10) and 2 other counties.
22.1% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Alabama: 25.4%) and 27.9% had a speeding-related driver (26.7%); pedestrians were 7.9% and motorcyclists 17.1% of those killed.
Fatal crashes per year
Route identification in FARS is consistent from 2000; earlier years are not shown. Shaded band: the ten-year window used for the shares below.
Compared with all fatal crashes in Alabama
| Measure | US Route 72 | Alabama |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes, 2015–2024 | 68 | 8,797 |
| Deaths, 2015–2024 | 76 | 9,605 |
| Deaths per fatal crash | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Share of state fatal crashes | 0.8% | 100% |
| Change vs previous ten years | +6700% | +1% |
Factor shares
Counties along the route
| # | County | Fatal crashes on US-72 | Share of route | County total, all roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Limestone County | 23 | 34% | 220 |
| 2 | Jackson County | 22 | 32% | 138 |
| 3 | Madison County | 10 | 15% | 402 |
| 4 | Colbert County | 7 | 10% | 120 |
| 5 | Lauderdale County | 6 | 9% | 133 |
Hour of day
Share of fatal crashes on US Route 72 beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Alabama share for all roads.
Where along the route
| Mile marker range | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mile 80–85 | 6 | 9% |
| Mile 65–70 | 5 | 7% |
| Mile 135–140 | 5 | 7% |
| Mile 70–75 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 75–80 | 4 | 6% |
| Mile 105–110 | 4 | 6% |
Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 97.1% of crashes on the route have a milepoint. Milepoints are as recorded by the state and can restart at county or district lines.
Other routes in Alabama
- US Route SR 625
- Interstate 65 437
- Interstate 59 262
- US Route 431 122
- US Route 231 112
- US Route 31 104
- State Route 69 99
- Interstate 85 98
- Interstate 20 97
- Interstate 10 94
- State Route 21 90
- US Route 80 71
All routes and counties in Alabama
Questions and answers
How many fatal crashes have there been on US Route 72 in Alabama?
68 fatal crashes with 76 deaths over 2015–2024, per NHTSA's FARS. The route is the trafficway recorded for the crash; the same numbered route in another state has its own page.
Which counties along US Route 72 had the most fatal crashes?
Limestone County (23), Jackson County (22), Madison County (10), Colbert County (7) and Lauderdale County (6).
What share of crashes on US Route 72 involved alcohol or speeding?
22.1% had a driver reported as drinking and 27.9% a speeding-related driver, against 25.4% and 26.7% for all fatal crashes in Alabama.
When do fatal crashes happen on US Route 72?
52.9% of the crashes were between 6pm and 6am. The hour chart on this page shows the full distribution.
Provenance
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, annual national CSV files 2000–2024 (accident, vehicle and person tables), public domain. Route pages are built for signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology and corrections.