I-40 in Tennessee: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 561 fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee killed 642 people, the most of any numbered road in Tennessee. In 2024 there were 63 fatal crashes and 71 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 24 counties of Tennessee. All fatal crashes in Tennessee. I-40 in every state.
Deaths on I-40 in Tennessee by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 63 | 71 |
| 2023 | 59 | 68 |
| 2022 | 51 | 59 |
| 2021 | 71 | 75 |
| 2020 | 70 | 80 |
| 2019 | 59 | 70 |
| 2018 | 42 | 47 |
| 2017 | 49 | 56 |
| 2016 | 52 | 65 |
| 2015 | 45 | 51 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-40 in Tennessee: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Shelby County had the most fatal crashes on I-40 from 2015 to 2024: 87, with 95 deaths. Shelby, Knox and Davidson counties together held 38% of fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee from 2015 to 2024; the 15 listed held 87%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 10 | 87 | 95 |
| 2 | Knox County | 13 | 73 | 86 |
| 3 | Davidson County | 8 | 51 | 60 |
| 4 | Wilson County | 4 | 44 | 46 |
| 5 | Cumberland County | 3 | 29 | 34 |
| 6 | Putnam County | 1 | 28 | 32 |
| 7 | Madison County | 3 | 26 | 34 |
| 8 | Haywood County | 3 | 24 | 27 |
| 9 | Fayette County | 3 | 21 | 24 |
| 10 | Hickman County | 0 | 19 | 23 |
| 11 | Humphreys County | 3 | 18 | 20 |
| 12 | Smith County | 3 | 17 | 22 |
| 13 | Dickson County | 0 | 17 | 21 |
| 14 | Henderson County | 1 | 17 | 19 |
| 15 | Jefferson County | 2 | 17 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-40 in Tennessee
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 27 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 10 pm to 11 pm; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 5.0 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 0.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 18 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 14 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 10 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 22 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.2 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.8 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 18 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 5.0 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 13 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 21 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.8%
- Feb7.0%
- Mar6.8%
- Apr7.8%
- May9.3%
- Jun8.9%
- Jul9.4%
- Aug11.6%
- Sep6.8%
- Oct7.8%
- Nov8.4%
- Dec9.4%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-40 in Tennessee
12.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 455 miles of I-40 in Tennessee, against 12 for all interstates in Tennessee. That ranks 2 of 6 interstates in Tennessee and 46 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 45%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 28%, a pedestrian in 13%, a rollover in 8.4%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 252 | 45% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 154 | 28% |
| Pedestrian | 73 | 13% |
| Rollover | 47 | 8.4% |
| Parked vehicle | 18 | 3.2% |
| Other | 16 | 2.9% |
| Cyclist | 1 | 0.2% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee compare with the state
The largest difference from Tennessee: from 2015 to 2024, 0.2% of fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee were at or near an intersection, against 19% across Tennessee. Also above the Tennessee share: unlit roads at night. Below it: drinking drivers, speeding, unbelted occupants and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Tennessee. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 561 crashes.
| I-40 | Tennessee | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 44% | 43% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.2% | 19% | below the Tennessee share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 32% | 26% | above the Tennessee share |
| A drinking driver | 21% | 25% | below the Tennessee share |
| Speeding | 9.6% | 17% | below the Tennessee share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 5.9% | 6.7% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 43% | 49% | below the Tennessee share |
| Hit-and-run | 5.7% | 6.6% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
| A motorcycle involved | 7.8% | 15% | below the Tennessee share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 14% | 13% | about the same as the Tennessee share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-40 in Tennessee?
- 561 fatal crashes killed 642 people on I-40 in Tennessee from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 63 fatal crashes and 71 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-40 in Tennessee do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Shelby County had the most fatal crashes on I-40 from 2015 to 2024: 87, with 95 deaths. Knox County was second with 73.
- When do fatal crashes on I-40 in Tennessee happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Saturday), with 27 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-40 in Tennessee per mile?
- 12.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 455 miles of road, against 12 for all interstates in Tennessee. That ranks 2 of 6 interstates in Tennessee and 46 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Tennessee with a page
- I-24
- I-240
- I-26
- I-65
- I-75
- I-81
- I-840
- State Highway 111
- State Highway 14
- State Highway 175
- State Highway 33
- State Highway 62
All fatal crashes in Tennessee, with every road ranked.
Where the I-40 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-40 in Tennessee (filed under 8 spellings, such as "I-40", "I-40 DR MLK JR EXPY", "I-40 ISAAC HAYES MEMORIAL HWY", "I-40 SR-66"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.