Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
County in Pennsylvania · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 32
- Fatal crashes
- 30
- Population
- 382.9K
In 2024, 32 people died in 30 fatal crashes in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. That was 23.1% more than in 2023 (26) and the most since 2020. The death rate was 8.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 8.6 in Pennsylvania and 11.5 in the United States. Lehigh County had the 9th most traffic deaths among Pennsylvania's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 151 people died, an average of 30 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 25% of deaths, and 33% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
8.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About the same as the rate in Pennsylvania: 8.6
- About three-quarters of the rate in the United States: 11.5
8.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 90 percent of the average in Pennsylvania: 9.0
- About two-thirds of the average in the United States: 12.3
+23%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
26 deaths in 2023, 32 in 2024
- Pennsylvania: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 32 | 30 |
| 2021 | 30 | 26 |
| 2022 | 31 | 27 |
| 2023 | 26 | 23 |
| 2024 | 32 | 30 |
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 | 8.0 |
| 2022 | 8.2 |
| 2023 | 6.8 |
| 2024 | 8.4 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
25%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.6 times the share in Pennsylvania: 15%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 17 |
| Pedestrians | 8 |
| Motorcyclists | 7 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Lehigh County | Share in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 8 | 25% | 15% |
| Motorcyclists | 7 | 22% | 19% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 8 | 25% | 26% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 11 | 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
33%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 90 percent of the share in Pennsylvania: 37%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 28%
23%
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 | Lehigh County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 23.3% | 24.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 33.3% | 37.4% | 28.1% |
| At night | 66.7% | 48.4% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 20.0% | 31.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
67%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 1.4 times the share in Pennsylvania: 48%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 54%
20%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About two-thirds of the share in Pennsylvania: 31%
- About 60 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 7 |
| 1am | 3 |
| 2am | 5 |
| 3am | 4 |
| 4am | 6 |
| 5am | 4 |
| 6am | 3 |
| 7am | 2 |
| 8am | 5 |
| 9am | 3 |
| 10am | 3 |
| 11am | 2 |
| 12pm | 6 |
| 1pm | 9 |
| 2pm | 7 |
| 3pm | 7 |
| 4pm | 5 |
| 5pm | 6 |
| 6pm | 6 |
| 7pm | 5 |
| 8pm | 17 |
| 9pm | 8 |
| 10pm | 7 |
| 11pm | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 29 |
| Mon | 21 |
| Tue | 23 |
| Wed | 15 |
| Thu | 22 |
| Fri | 15 |
| Sat | 11 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 11 |
| Feb | 4 |
| Mar | 8 |
| Apr | 8 |
| May | 10 |
| Jun | 15 |
| Jul | 9 |
| Aug | 10 |
| Sep | 11 |
| Oct | 21 |
| Nov | 15 |
| Dec | 14 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 90 |
| Rain | 13 |
| Cloudy | 9 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 3 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 59 |
| Dark - Lighted | 37 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 33 |
| Dusk | 5 |
| Dawn | 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-787
- SR-145 MACARTHUR RD7
- I-78 WILLIAM PENN HWY4
- US-2224
- SSR-1002 UNION BLVD3
- SSR-1002 TILGHMAN ST3
- I-476 NORTHEAST EXT3
- MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DR2
- SR-6100 TREXLERTOWN RD2
- SR-3782
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 77 |
| SUVs | 52 |
| Motorcycles | 30 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 24 |
| Vans | 13 |
| Pickup trucks | 8 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Civic7
- Freightliner Cascadia6
- Jeep Grand Cherokee5
- Toyota RAV44
- Cadillac SRX3
- Chevrolet Express3
- Chevrolet Trailblazer3
- Ford E-3503
- Ford Escape3
- Honda Accord3
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 25, 2024 | — | WATER ST | 1 |
| Dec 9, 2024 | — | I-78 | 2 |
| Dec 2, 2024 | — | SSR-2027 KINGS HWY | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | — | SSR-2038 OAKHURST DR | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Allentown | BLUEBARN RD | 1 |
| Nov 23, 2024 | Macungie | SSR-2018 INDIAN CREEK RD | 1 |
| Nov 11, 2024 | — | I-78 | 1 |
| Oct 15, 2024 | — | VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Oct 13, 2024 | Bethlehem | CENTRAL BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 5, 2024 | — | SSR-1002 TILGHMAN ST | 1 |
| Oct 4, 2024 | — | CENTER VALLEY PKWY | 1 |
| Oct 2, 2024 | Schnecksville | SR-309 | 1 |
| Oct 2, 2024 | — | SR-100 | 1 |
| Oct 1, 2024 | Macungie | SSR-4024 MOUNTAIN RD | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2024 | Bethlehem | SSR-1002 UNION BLVD | 1 |
| Sep 3, 2024 | Bethlehem | US-22 LEHIGH VALLEY THRUWAY | 1 |
| Aug 5, 2024 | — | ORCHARD DR | 1 |
| Jul 28, 2024 | Allentown | LIBERTY ST | 1 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | Allentown | I-78 | 1 |
| Jun 25, 2024 | Allentown | SR-222 HAMILTON ST | 1 |
| Jun 24, 2024 | — | FOLLWEILER CT | 1 |
| May 23, 2024 | — | SSR-1015 FULLERTON AVE | 1 |
| May 3, 2024 | Allentown | W CHEW ST | 2 |
| Apr 30, 2024 | Allentown | SSR-LEHIGH ST | 1 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | — | SSR-4040 KISTLER VALLEY RD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Lehigh County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown | 7 | 5.6 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Lehigh 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.