Officials said aggressive, distracted, and impaired driving remain the leading contributing factors. Crashes involving motorists who were not wearing seat belts or used them improperly also increased by 7%.
During his latest Team Kentucky press briefing, Governor Andy Beshear urged drivers to buckle up, put down their phones, avoid impaired driving, and stay alert.
"We've seen the positive steps that we've taken over the last several years. Let's make sure that we double down on them, that we drive safely, and that we turn this concerning trend of an uptick in deaths on our roadways around," Beshear said. "Let's make sure we're being good neighbors and good Kentuckians."
Beshear said the data is preliminary and hopes the trend reverses before the end of the year.
