Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Berks County, Pennsylvania
County in Pennsylvania · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 47
- Fatal crashes
- 47
- Population
- 438.4K
In 2024, 47 people died in 47 fatal crashes in Berks County, Pennsylvania. That was 7.8% fewer than in 2023 (51) and the fewest since 2022. The death rate was 10.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 8.6 in Pennsylvania and 11.5 in the United States. Berks County had the 5th most traffic deaths among Pennsylvania's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 228 people died, an average of 46 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 11% of deaths, and 34% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
10.7
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About 1.2 times the rate in Pennsylvania: 8.6
- About the same as the rate in the United States: 11.5
10.5
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.2 times the average in Pennsylvania: 9.0
- About 85 percent of the average in the United States: 12.3
-8%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
51 deaths in 2023, 47 in 2024
- Pennsylvania: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 37 | 36 |
| 2021 | 46 | 40 |
| 2022 | 47 | 46 |
| 2023 | 51 | 47 |
| 2024 | 47 | 47 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8.6 |
| 2021 | 10.7 |
| 2022 | 10.9 |
| 2023 | 11.7 |
| 2024 | 10.7 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
11%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About two-thirds of the share in Pennsylvania: 15%
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 27 |
| Pedestrians | 5 |
| Motorcyclists | 14 |
| Cyclists | 1 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Berks County | Share in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 5 | 11% | 15% |
| Motorcyclists | 14 | 30% | 19% |
| Cyclists | 1 | 2% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 10 | 21% | 26% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 16 | 34% | 39% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
34%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in Pennsylvania: 37%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%
26%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in Pennsylvania: 24%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Berks County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 25.5% | 24.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 34.0% | 37.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 31.9% | 48.4% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 27.7% | 31.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
32%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About two-thirds of the share in Pennsylvania: 48%
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 54%
28%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 90 percent of the share in Pennsylvania: 31%
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 7 |
| 1am | 6 |
| 2am | 6 |
| 3am | 2 |
| 4am | 4 |
| 5am | 6 |
| 6am | 6 |
| 7am | 9 |
| 8am | 10 |
| 9am | 7 |
| 10am | 4 |
| 11am | 2 |
| 12pm | 7 |
| 1pm | 10 |
| 2pm | 11 |
| 3pm | 21 |
| 4pm | 14 |
| 5pm | 14 |
| 6pm | 16 |
| 7pm | 9 |
| 8pm | 9 |
| 9pm | 11 |
| 10pm | 15 |
| 11pm | 9 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 36 |
| Mon | 24 |
| Tue | 21 |
| Wed | 19 |
| Thu | 37 |
| Fri | 42 |
| Sat | 37 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 15 |
| Feb | 8 |
| Mar | 18 |
| Apr | 15 |
| May | 18 |
| Jun | 17 |
| Jul | 22 |
| Aug | 23 |
| Sep | 23 |
| Oct | 18 |
| Nov | 21 |
| Dec | 18 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 144 |
| Rain | 19 |
| Cloudy | 16 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 2 |
| Freezing Rain or Drizzle | 2 |
| Snow | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 121 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 56 |
| Dark - Lighted | 25 |
| Dawn | 6 |
| Dusk | 5 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-78 WILLIAM PENN HWY9
- SR-183 BERNVILLE RD9
- SR-61 POTTSVILLE PIKE6
- US-422 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HWY5
- US-222 KUTZTOWN RD4
- I-78 WILLIAM PENN HW3
- SR-10 MORGANTOWN RD3
- SR-501 LANCASTER AVE3
- SR-662 OLD SWEDE RD3
- US-422 CONRAD WEISER PKWY3
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 138 |
| SUVs | 73 |
| Motorcycles | 57 |
| Pickup trucks | 34 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 30 |
| Vans | 13 |
| Other vehicles | 5 |
| Other light trucks | 1 |
| Buses | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Volkswagen Jetta9
- Honda Civic8
- Chevrolet Silverado8
- Jeep Grand Cherokee6
- Ford F-2506
- Ford Escape6
- Toyota Corolla5
- Toyota Camry5
- Honda Accord5
- Freightliner Cascadia5
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 15, 2024 | — | SR-61 POTTSVILLE PKE | 1 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | Fleetwood | RICHMOND RD | 1 |
| Nov 2, 2024 | — | SR-724 E MAIN ST | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | — | SSR-2011 N 11TH ST | 1 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | Maxatawny | US-222 KUTZTOWN RD | 1 |
| Sep 22, 2024 | Reading | SSR-2005 5TH ST | 1 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Bechtelsville | SSR-2069 OLD ROUTE 100 | 1 |
| Sep 17, 2024 | — | SR-61 | 1 |
| Sep 16, 2024 | Birdsboro | SR-345 CHESTER ST | 1 |
| Aug 29, 2024 | — | SR-422 PENN AVE | 1 |
| Aug 25, 2024 | Reading | SSR-2010 WASHINGTON ST | 1 |
| Aug 23, 2024 | Kutztown | I-78 WILLIAM PENN HWY | 1 |
| Aug 10, 2024 | — | TS-WINTERSVILLE RD | 1 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | — | FISHER DAM RD | 1 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Birdsboro | SR-345 CHESTNUT ST | 1 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | — | SR-73 PHILADELPHIA AVE | 1 |
| Jul 13, 2024 | — | US-222 ALLENTOWN PIKE | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2024 | — | SSR-1010 PARK RD | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | — | RHOADES RD | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2024 | — | SR-724 W SCHUYLKILL RD | 1 |
| Jun 20, 2024 | — | SR-10 MORGANTOWN RD | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2024 | — | US-422 BEN FRANKLIN HWY | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2024 | — | SR-10 MORGANTOWN RD | 1 |
| Jun 4, 2024 | Hamburg | SSR-4035 S 4TH ST | 1 |
| Jun 3, 2024 | Reading | SR-61 CENTRE AVE | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Berks County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 4 | 4.2 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Berks County, Pennsylvania
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.