(LEX 18) — Kentucky experienced one of the nation's largest increases in DUI fatalities in 2023, according to a recent report from Zutobi, even as the U.S. saw an overall decrease in drunk driving deaths.
The Commonwealth ranked 13th nationwide in severity, with DUI fatalities jumping 12.5% compared to 2022. This troubling trend comes as the U.S. experienced a nationwide decrease of 8.1% in DUI deaths during the same period.
The data, available as of June 2025, reveals more concerning statistics for Kentucky drivers. The state recorded more than 438 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, and 24.3% of all road fatalities were tied to alcohol-impaired crashes. Per 100,000 drivers in the Bluegrass State, there are around 6.6 DUI fatalities.
"That's not a good sign," said Richmond Police Chief Rodney Richardson. "Those are not good numbers at all."
Richardson emphasized the availability of safe transportation alternatives.
"There's so many ways that we can find a ride home safely, we could Lyft, we could call Uber, we can call a friend, we can pre-plan that," Richardson said.
Franklin County Sheriff Dwayne Depp, who has been in law enforcement for more than 30 years, believes proactive measures are essential to reversing this trend.
"There needs to be some proactive activities happening in law enforcement," Depp said.
The issue hits close to home for Depp, whose brother was killed in a DUI-related accident in 1992. The tragedy has shaped his approach to traffic law enforcement.
"Enforcing particularly DUI laws, if it wasn't for a drunk driver on that particular day, my brother could potentially still be here," Depp said.
Both Richardson and Depp are planning initiatives to combat drunk driving, including Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaigns and random traffic safety checkpoints.
"We feel very strongly that some of our initiatives that we've done in the past has helped our numbers and helped make our roadways safe," Depp noted.
"It doesn't really make any sense whatsoever for someone to drive intoxicated," Richardson said.
