Fatal Roads

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US highwayUS-45W

Tennessee · us highway

US Route 45W

Fatal crashes 2015–2024 20Deaths 23Counties 3Latest 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 20 fatal crashes on US Route 45W in Tennessee, with 23 deaths.

That is 0.2% of the 10,680 fatal crashes in Tennessee over the same years. The ten-year crash count rose 400% from 4 in 2005–2014 to 20 in 2015–2024.

The crashes were concentrated in Gibson County (11), Obion County (6) and Madison County (3).

15.0% of the crashes had a driver reported as drinking (Tennessee: 24.5%) and 15.0% had a speeding-related driver (16.5%); pedestrians were 17.4% and motorcyclists 8.7% of those killed.

20fatal crashes, 2015–2024+400% vs 2005–2014
23people killed1.2 per fatal crash
15%with a drinking driverTennessee: 25%
15%speeding-relatedTennessee: 17%

Fatal crashes per year

0242000200520102015202020242000: 0 crashes2001: 0 crashes2002: 0 crashes2003: 0 crashes2004: 0 crashes2005: 0 crashes2006: 0 crashes2007: 0 crashes2008: 0 crashes2009: 0 crashes2010: 0 crashes2011: 0 crashes2012: 1–2 crashes2013: 1–2 crashes2014: 1–2 crashes2015: 0 crashes2016: 0 crashes2017: 3 crashes2018: 1–2 crashes2019: 4 crashes2020: 1–2 crashes2021: 1–2 crashes2022: 4 crashes2023: 1–2 crashes2024: 1–2 crashes
Fatal crashes on US Route 45W (TN) by year, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 1–2 crashes.

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 Tennessee

MeasureUS Route 45WTennessee
Fatal crashes, 2015–20242010,680
Deaths, 2015–20242311,576
Deaths per fatal crash1.21.1
Share of state fatal crashes0.2%100%
Change vs previous ten years+400%+8%

Factor shares

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking15%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver15%
Pedestriansshare of people killed17.4%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed8.7%
Night (6pm–6am)share of crashes52.9%

tick marks the Tennessee share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties along the route

#CountyFatal crashes on US-45WShare of routeCounty total, all roads
1Gibson County1155%72
2Obion County630%45
3Madison County315%164

Hour of day

12am0%
1am0%
2am5.9%
3am11.8%
4am5.9%
5am5.9%
6am0%
7am0%
8am0%
9am0%
10am0%
11am11.8%
12pm0%
1pm5.9%
2pm5.9%
3pm17.6%
4pm0%
5pm5.9%
6pm0%
7pm0%
8pm11.8%
9pm0%
10pm11.8%
11pm0%

Share of fatal crashes on US Route 45W beginning in each hour, 2015–2024; tick marks the Tennessee share for all roads.

Where along the route

Mile marker rangeFatal crashesShare
Mile 0–5630%
Mile 5–10420%
Mile 20–25420%
Mile 15–20315%
Mile 25–30210%
Mile 10–1515%

Five-mile bins by FARS milepoint, the six with the most fatal crashes; 100% 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 Tennessee

All routes and counties in Tennessee

Questions and answers

How many fatal crashes have there been on US Route 45W in Tennessee?

20 fatal crashes with 23 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 45W had the most fatal crashes?

Gibson County (11), Obion County (6) and Madison County (3).

What share of crashes on US Route 45W involved alcohol or speeding?

15.0% had a driver reported as drinking and 15.0% a speeding-related driver, against 24.5% and 16.5% for all fatal crashes in Tennessee.

When do fatal crashes happen on US Route 45W?

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.