Bowling Green, KY, Road Safety Overview
Bowling Green, KY, has a population of almost 75,000. According to a query on the Kentucky State Police’s Collision Data database, the city had 5,270 traffic crashes in 2023. These car accidents in Bowling Green caused 1,020 injuries and deaths.
For its size, Bowling Green is about average for road safety. It has neither the safest roads in Kentucky nor its most dangerous. Thus, you should exercise caution as you drive in the city, but your odds of crashing are roughly the same as anywhere else in Kentucky.
Road Safety Statistics For Bowling Green, Kentucky
A city’s crash statistics can help explain its road safety. In Kentucky, these statistics come from two primary sources. First, the Kentucky State Police maintains a database of all crash records received by the agency. Second, the University of Kentucky compiles, analyzes, and publishes an annual Traffic Collision Facts Report. The most recent report contained data from 2022.
According to the Traffic Collisions Facts Report, Kentucky had 130,042 total collisions in 2022. These crashes included 723 fatal crashes and 20,169 non-fatal injury crashes.
By running a query on the Collision Data database, you can determine how many of these crashes happened in Bowling Green.
In 2022, the city had:
- 5,283 total traffic crashes, which is about 4.1% of the Commonwealth’s total
- 15 fatal crashes, which is about 2.1% of the Commonwealth’s total
- 695 non-fatal injury crashes, which is about 3.4% of the Commonwealth’s total
These crashes caused:
- 16 fatal injuries
- 119 serious injuries that incapacitated the accident victim
- 535 minor injuries that produced visible, non-incapacitating wounds
- 517 complaints of symptoms that indicated a possible injury
In total, crashes in Bowling Green in 2022 produced 1,171 injuries and 16 deaths. Although every injury or fatality is a tragedy, these numbers are relatively low compared to the city’s population of roughly 75,000 residents.
Dangerous Times To Drive in Bowling Green
The most dangerous times to drive on Bowling Green’s roads occurred on Fridays. However, Friday’s crash numbers only slightly exceeded those for the other weekdays. Typically, the safest day to drive happened on Sundays. In fact, crash numbers dropped significantly on weekends compared to weekdays.
Bowling Green crashes followed a pattern throughout the day. Crashes built in the early morning and reached a small peak during the morning commute. They dipped slightly in the late morning before climbing again throughout the day. The numbers peaked during the afternoon commute, tapered off in the late evening, then dropped to their lowest levels overnight.
Common Causes of Bowling Green Car Crashes
According to the Collision Data database, 82.4% of crashes in Bowling Green in 2022 involved a multi-vehicle collision. The remaining crashes involved a single-vehicle accident.
These crashes include vehicles that:
- Ran over a pedestrian or bicycle
- Hit a fixed object
- Ran off the road
- Rolled over
Looking specifically at multi-vehicle collisions, some common causes included:
Inattentive Driving
Inattentive driving crashes can result from distractions, such as eating or electronics use, or general inattention due to daydreaming, boredom, or upset emotions. Inattentive and distracted drivers will often fail to see traffic or road hazards. As a result, they will not have enough time to stop or maneuver around them.
According to the Collision Data records, crash reports identified 2,538 crashes where inattention or distractions contributed to the cause. In other words, Bowling Green police found evidence of distracted or inattentive driving in nearly half of all crashes in 2022.
Speeding
The Collision Data records include 182 crashes in which speed played a factor. A crash can result from speeding in two situations. First, speed plays a factor when a driver exceeds the speed limit. As a result, these drivers lack the time to react to changing conditions or hazards on the roads.
Second, speed can contribute to a crash when a driver travels too fast for the road or traffic conditions. For example, a driver commits this error when they drive too fast on wet roads or in a traffic jam even though they stay under the speed limit. Traveling too fast for conditions can lead to a loss of control of a vehicle.
Failing To Yield
Most intersection crashes happen when a driver fails to yield the right-of-way to another vehicle. Both drivers proceed through the intersection at the same time, resulting in a collision.
Failure to yield happens in many situations, including the following:
- Disobeying a stop sign or red light
- Ignoring a yield sign
- Turning left across the path of an approaching vehicle
- Turning right into the path of oncoming traffic
- Proceeding through a crosswalk occupied by a pedestrian or cyclist
These crashes often produce serious injuries and fatalities. Side-impact collisions can crush the occupants of a vehicle. As a result, they can suffer life-threatening head, chest, and abdominal injuries.
Vulnerable Road User Safety in Bowling Green, KY
Vulnerable road users include those who have no vehicle to protect them in a crash, such as pedestrians and cyclists. In 2022, Bowling Green crashes included 44 pedestrian accidents and 15 bicycle accidents.
These crashes resulted in the following:
- 32 injured pedestrians
- Nine injured cyclists
- Two deceased pedestrians
- One deceased cyclist
This means over 77% of pedestrians hit by vehicles and nearly 67% of cyclists hit by vehicles suffered injury or death. For comparison, only about 13% of vehicle crashes in Bowling Green that year caused injury or death.
Driving Safely on Bowling Green’s Roads
Bowling Green traffic crashes can injure or even kill road users. You can navigate the city’s roads safely by following a few simple rules. Always wear your seat belt. A seat belt can prevent serious or fatal injuries in a collision.
You should also slow down. Speeding increases both the risk of crashing and the severity of the collision. Traveling under the speed limit and staying aware of road conditions can help you maintain the reaction time you need to avoid accidents.
Finally, you should put away your phone and focus on driving. Even experienced drivers need their eyes, hands, and mind. Trying to multitask prevents you from devoting your full attention to driving.
Do you have questions about road safety in your city?, Contact us and we’ll get back to you.