Car Crash Fatality Statistics – Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of the state’s highways and road infrastructure. Their mandate extends to the engineering of the transportation network, education of the public and enforcement of traffic laws.
Just like the other states, it is required to register its car crash statistics with the U.S. DOT every year. These are recorded on their Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
Statistics from FARS
The report from FARS shows statistics over a ten-year period, from 2006 to 2015. These show that there has been a marked downward trend in the number of fatalities, with a decrease of over 20 percent in that period.
In 2015, this state recorded 1,200 fatalities from motor vehicle accidents. Of these 616 occurred on rural roads and highways, and 581 on urban streets. A total of 784 people killed were occupants in passenger vehicles.
These statistics for 2015 show:
- Of the 1,662 drivers involved in fatal car crashes, 140 were aged between 15 and 20, and 2 were younger than 15.
- The number of fatalities per capita shows this state performing better than most states, with 9.37 fatalities per 100,000 of the population compared to the national average of 10.92.
- 30 percent of the fatalities were alcohol impaired.
- 48 percent of people aged 5 and over were wearing seat belts.
- 6 infants younger than 4 years were killed in motor vehicle accidents.
- 40 percent of the fatalities were in passenger cars.
- 304 people traveling in pickups, vans, and utility vehicles were killed.
- 678 people died in crashes involving only one vehicle.
Philadelphia County had by far the most fatalities from car crashes in 2015 with 94. The next highest were Bucks County with 56 and Allegheny County with 54.
The 2016 Pennsylvania Crash Statistics
2016 saw the lowest number of car crash fatalities ever, with 1,188 people killed on the state’s roads and highways. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation publishes a report on their Crash Facts and Statistics annually.
The 2016 report shows 129,395 traffic crashes reported, one of the lowest totals since 1950. Also, the 2016 fatality rate was 1.18 fatalities per hundred million vehicle-miles traveled. This statistic is the second lowest since the department started recording data in 1935.
To add perspective to the statistics, the report states that on average:
- 355 traffic accidents were reported daily
- 3 people were killed every day
- 227 people were injured in car wrecks each day
The 2016 statistics also show that 172 pedestrians were killed in car accidents. 162 deaths were recorded from crashes involving heavy trucks. Alcohol-related fatalities accounted for 297 lives, and 316 people died in car crashes that were speed-related.
The Pennsylvania DOT calculated the economic cost to the state of car crashes in 2016 to be over $17.6 billion. This equates to $1,382 for every resident of Pennsylvania.