Fatal Roads

States › Tennessee

TN

State

Tennessee

Residents 7,227,750Deaths 2024 1,197Deaths 2015–2024 11,576Counties 95Routes with pages 84

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.

In 2024, 1,197 people died in 1,093 fatal crashes in Tennessee; the ten years 2015–2024 total 11,576 deaths in 10,680 crashes.

That is 16.8 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 42% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total rose 8% from 10,736 in 2005–2014 to 11,576 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, motorcyclists stands out most: 13.8% of people killed against 14.5% nationally. 42.8% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 46.2% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Haywood County (45.6), Humphreys County (35.6) and Henderson County (34.3).

1,197deaths in 20241,093 fatal crashes
16.8per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+8%ten-year change in deaths10,736 → 11,576
25%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

06701,339197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 1,126 deaths1976: 1,149 deaths1977: 1,223 deaths1978: 1,241 deaths1979: 1,210 deaths1980: 1,153 deaths1981: 1,104 deaths1982: 1,055 deaths1983: 1,037 deaths1984: 1,095 deaths1985: 1,101 deaths1986: 1,230 deaths1987: 1,247 deaths1988: 1,266 deaths1989: 1,088 deaths1990: 1,177 deaths1991: 1,113 deaths1992: 1,153 deaths1993: 1,170 deaths1994: 1,214 deaths1995: 1,259 deaths1996: 1,239 deaths1997: 1,225 deaths1998: 1,216 deaths1999: 1,302 deaths2000: 1,307 deaths2001: 1,251 deaths2002: 1,177 deaths2003: 1,193 deaths2004: 1,339 deaths2005: 1,270 deaths2006: 1,284 deaths2007: 1,211 deaths2008: 1,043 deaths2009: 986 deaths2010: 1,032 deaths2011: 937 deaths2012: 1,015 deaths2013: 995 deaths2014: 963 deaths2015: 962 deaths2016: 1,037 deaths2017: 1,024 deaths2018: 1,040 deaths2019: 1,136 deaths2020: 1,217 deaths2021: 1,327 deaths2022: 1,313 deaths2023: 1,323 deaths2024: 1,197 deaths
People killed in crashes in Tennessee by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 1,197 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

011232000200520102015202020242000: 22.92001: 21.82002: 20.32003: 20.42004: 22.72005: 21.22006: 21.12007: 19.62008: 16.72009: 15.62010: 16.22011: 14.62012: 15.72013: 15.32014: 14.72015: 14.62016: 15.62017: 15.32018: 15.32019: 16.62020: 17.62021: 19.12022: 18.62023: 18.52024: 16.6
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Tennessee and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 16.6. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureTennesseeUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202416.811.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202416.611.5
Deaths, 2015–202411,576389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+8%+7%
Share of the national toll3%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking24.5%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver16.5%
Pedestriansshare of people killed13%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed13.8%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used48.7%
In darknesscrashes after dark46.2%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads42.8%

tick marks the US 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 ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Haywood County17,0978045.6927%13%
2Humphreys County19,5546735.6530%10%
3Moore County6,7732335.3418%0%
4Henderson County28,1839634.3922%8%
5Marion County29,8269733.61016%21%
6Meigs County13,9374233.0427%12%
7Hancock County7,0382232.71–225%13%
8Hickman County25,8598232.6521%4%
9Perry County8,9872732.4430%17%
10Sequatchie County17,6205031.6318%25%
11Cannon County15,1424329.7536%8%
12Hardin County27,6177829.5628%4%
13Decatur County11,8003429.3331%3%
14Polk County18,3384928.2726%22%
15Crockett County13,9734028.2317%3%
16Giles County30,9718428.01028%10%
17Van Buren County6,6861727.9014%7%
18Stewart County14,3653827.7622%16%
19Bledsoe County15,5914127.5832%24%
20Cocke County37,5969827.11141%15%
21McMinn County56,75414526.91623%15%
22Smith County20,7835426.9819%10%
23Scott County22,5175926.8415%4%
24Houston County8,5382226.6037%11%
25Jackson County12,3763126.1541%7%
26Monroe County49,15412226.0524%13%
27McNairy County26,1036725.9318%13%
28Greene County73,39817725.22421%14%
29Wayne County15,9743923.7525%11%
30Dickson County57,64112823.61224%11%
31Johnson County18,5064223.4637%20%
32Cumberland County65,61814323.31420%14%
33Coffee County61,28513423.31522%11%
34Morgan County21,9545023.3730%8%
35Hardeman County25,4345822.8426%19%
36Campbell County40,2389022.6721%18%
37Lauderdale County24,6305722.5835%9%
38Grainger County25,0735221.936%12%
39Fentress County20,1294121.8723%5%
40Benton County16,1733521.81–231%6%
41Trousdale County12,1592421.61–218%9%
42Henry County32,8836921.3337%6%
43Chester County17,8763721.3730%10%
44Robertson County78,45915421.11131%17%
45Cheatham County42,6048520.7423%8%
46Shelby County910,5301,90920.621821%19%
47Fayette County44,4768620.61124%10%
48Dyer County36,4037620.6421%6%
49DeKalb County21,7474220.6519%12%
50Union County21,0644120.5533%13%
51Roane County56,74210819.9425%11%
52Clay County7,8571519.6033%0%
53Lincoln County36,7516819.4837%20%
54Madison County100,40919019.32727%12%
55Lewis County13,4182419.2018%27%
56Warren County43,6197919.1825%19%
57Macon County27,1894718.81–222%15%
58Lawrence County46,4678218.51415%4%
59Hawkins County59,37110217.8426%7%
60Loudon County62,1299917.81026%7%
61Sevier County100,18417017.31423%19%
62Overton County23,5513917.359%9%
63Lake County6,4221217.2033%8%
64Carroll County29,1074817.0619%0%
65Putnam County84,89413516.91029%14%
66Weakley County33,1625516.5418%10%
67Gibson County51,4228216.4831%7%
68Obion County30,2615016.4724%11%
69Bedford County54,2288216.3633%11%
70Claiborne County33,0705216.2716%12%
71Maury County113,41115615.61422%13%
72Marshall County37,8475415.61018%10%
73Rhea County34,7595215.6320%20%
74Grundy County14,1482115.5521%21%
75Anderson County81,44911815.21326%20%
76Blount County142,21120315.12526%21%
77Carter County57,4348515.0836%22%
78White County29,1084114.9622%12%
79Davidson County729,5051,03914.811427%23%
80Jefferson County59,2178114.71324%13%
81Franklin County45,1376214.51–230%21%
82Wilson County169,94821014.22526%13%
83Knox County506,74865913.88225%21%
84Hamblen County67,7158813.61624%12%
85Unicoi County17,8722413.51–233%24%
86Montgomery County246,02528913.32631%23%
87Sullivan County162,70320212.71722%21%
88Bradley County113,78213612.51525%19%
89Hamilton County386,25644011.93927%27%
90Pickett County5,108611.80——
91Tipton County62,1877211.7525%12%
92Rutherford County376,99636610.84425%18%
93Washington County139,64213410.11123%21%
94Sumner County211,7211608.21125%18%
95Williamson County269,1361626.71226%11%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 40Interstate58867022%11%
2Interstate 24Interstate32036424%21%
3US Route 70US highway21422825%10%
4US Route 64US highway16819325%10%
5Interstate 75Interstate16518115%10%
6US Route 41US highway15716617%17%
7Interstate 65Interstate14816524%7%
8US Route 51US highway13714216%8%
9US Route 11US highway11211919%13%
10US Route 41AUS highway9810126%21%
11Interstate 240Interstate9510633%13%
12US Route 11EUS highway9510217%13%
13State Route 175State highway9010219%21%
14US Route 231US highway909627%11%
15US Route 11WUS highway849214%12%
16State Route 14State highway828715%16%
17US Route 27US highway828612%11%
18US Route 321US highway819432%7%
19US Route 411US highway769128%16%
20US Route 412US highway768320%3%
21US Route 441US highway748118%12%
22US Route 61US highway738214%15%
23US Route 129US highway707416%19%
24State Route 62State highway687319%15%
25US Route 79US highway677030%15%
26US Route 25WUS highway667227%8%
27US Route 31AUS highway636622%21%
28US Route 31US highway626729%24%
29US Route 78US highway626521%18%
30Interstate 81Interstate617130%7%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 84 routes in Tennessee qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in Tennessee by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 10,221 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Sunday15%
Friday15%
Thursday14%
Monday13%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday12%

Light condition

Daylight50%
Dark, not lighted26%
Dark, lighted20%
Dusk2%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial29%
Minor arterial23%
Interstate14%
Major collector12%
Local12%
Minor collector8%
Other freeways and expressways1%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Tennessee in 2024?

1,197 people in 1,093 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 11,576.

How does Tennessee compare with the national rate?

16.8 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 16.6 against 11.5.

Which counties in Tennessee have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Shelby County (1,909), Davidson County (1,039) and Knox County (659). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in Tennessee involved alcohol or speeding?

24.5% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 16.5% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Tennessee have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 40 (588 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 24 (320 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 70 (214 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.