Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Office of Public Affairs

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2008

Media contact: Chuck Wolfe
Chuck.Wolfe@ky.gov
Robin Jenkins
Robin.Jenkins@ky.gov
502-564-3419

Kentucky highway fatality total drops to six-year low
49 fewer people killed on state’s roadways

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The number of people killed on Kentucky’s highways dropped to a six-year low in 2007.

Transportation Cabinet records show 864 fatalities in Kentucky last year. It was the lowest total since 2001, when the death toll was 843, and the second consecutive year in which the number of fatalities declined.

The death toll for 2006 was 913 – 49 more than in 2007. It was 985 in 2005 – 121 more than last year.

“One fatality is too many, and the only truly acceptable rate is zero,” said Secretary of Transportation Joe Prather. “But we are seeing our numbers slowly decrease, and that’s good news.”

Prather attributed the improvement to a number of factors, including the passage of a primary seat belt law, increased education and enforcement, and engineering safety improvements, such as wider shoulders and cable barriers in medians of divided highways.

The cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety coordinates an array of education and enforcement programs, including the annual “Click It or Ticket” seat belt campaign, child passenger safety checkpoints and programs designed for teens in school – Ghost Out, Mock Crash and Judgment Day.

“Increased educational programs, along with enforcement details to remove dangerous drivers, and community activities to promote the laws and benefits of safe driving practices have all helped to decrease the number of fatalities in Kentucky,” said Boyd Sigler, director of the Office of Highway Safety. “The decrease shows we’re moving in the right direction, yet improvements still need to be made.”

Additionally, the Governor’s Executive Committee on Highway Safety brings together dozens of safety organizations to develop, promote and implement strategies to improve safety and save lives along Kentucky highways. The committee focuses on certain emphasis areas, including impaired driving, seat belt usage, commercial vehicle safety, motorcycle safety and others.

“We’ll continue to do our part to develop and maintain the safest highway network possible and to promote safe driving practices,” Prather added. “But everyone can help make our roadways safer by always wearing a seat belt, driving sober, and following the rules of the road.”

More information regarding traffic safety statistics and educational programs can be found at www.highwaysafety.ky.gov.

Highway Fatalities
2001 843
2002 915
2003 931
2004 964
2005 985
2006 913
2007 864
Alcohol-Related Fatalities
2001 192
2002 231
2003 241
2004 270
2005 244
2006 232
2007 219

Speed-Related Fatalities
2001 166
2002 206
2003 182
2004 227
2005 206
2006 180
2007 162

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