Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Pennsylvania in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 1,230
- Fatal crashes
- 1,153
- Population
- 13M
In 2021, 1,230 people died in 1,153 fatal crashes in Pennsylvania, about 3 a day. That was 8.9% more than in 2020 (1,129) and the most since 2012. The death rate was 9.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Pennsylvania had the 9th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 40th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 14% of deaths, and 40% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
9.4
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021
- About three-quarters of the rate in the United States: 13.0
+9%
change in deaths from 2020 to 2021
1,129 deaths in 2020, 1,230 in 2021
- The United States: +11%
Pennsylvania traffic deaths by year goes back to 1975.
Road users
Who died
14%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 803 |
| Pedestrians | 176 |
| Motorcyclists | 230 |
| Cyclists | 21 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Pennsylvania | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 176 | 14% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 230 | 19% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 21 | 2% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 331 | 27% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 500 | 41% | 29% |
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
40%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 28%
24%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About the same as the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 24.1% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 39.6% | 28.2% |
| At night | 48.7% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 31.0% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
49%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
31%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 40 |
| 1am | 41 |
| 2am | 39 |
| 3am | 26 |
| 4am | 23 |
| 5am | 28 |
| 6am | 44 |
| 7am | 33 |
| 8am | 33 |
| 9am | 31 |
| 10am | 42 |
| 11am | 46 |
| 12pm | 37 |
| 1pm | 58 |
| 2pm | 71 |
| 3pm | 57 |
| 4pm | 67 |
| 5pm | 71 |
| 6pm | 56 |
| 7pm | 67 |
| 8pm | 74 |
| 9pm | 64 |
| 10pm | 50 |
| 11pm | 54 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 176 |
| Mon | 154 |
| Tue | 137 |
| Wed | 142 |
| Thu | 151 |
| Fri | 212 |
| Sat | 181 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 74 |
| Feb | 57 |
| Mar | 85 |
| Apr | 76 |
| May | 93 |
| Jun | 109 |
| Jul | 99 |
| Aug | 128 |
| Sep | 108 |
| Oct | 131 |
| Nov | 94 |
| Dec | 99 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 928 |
| Rain | 85 |
| Cloudy | 70 |
| Snow | 15 |
| Freezing Rain or Drizzle | 8 |
| Other | 7 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 596 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 270 |
| Dark - Lighted | 236 |
| Dusk | 25 |
| Dawn | 14 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 5 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- US-30 LINCOLN HW16
- I-76 MAINLINE TPKE14
- I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HW12
- US-30 LINCOLN HWY9
- US-1 ROOSEVELT BLVD8
- I-81 AMERICAN LEGION MEM HWY7
- US-22 WILLIAM PENN HWY6
- US-422 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HW6
- SR-3007 KELLY DR5
- SR-611 BROAD ST5
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 671 |
| SUVs | 371 |
| Motorcycles | 235 |
| Pickup trucks | 191 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 165 |
| Vans | 69 |
| Other vehicles | 50 |
| Buses | 6 |
| Other light trucks | 3 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado38
- Honda Accord36
- Honda Civic36
- Ford F-15032
- Freightliner Cascadia29
- Hyundai Elantra27
- Toyota RAV424
- Ford Focus22
- Jeep Grand Cherokee21
- Chevrolet Impala19
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 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 12, 2021 | Hazleton, Luzerne County | SR-3017 POPLAR ST | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2021 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County | US-1 ROOSEVELT BLVD | 1 |
| Jun 12, 2021 | York County | SR-616 SEVEN VALLEYS RD | 1 |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Pittsburgh, Allegheny County | I-376 PENN LINCOLN PKWY | 1 |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Lancaster County | SR-272 WILLOW STREER PIKE | 1 |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Brookville, Jefferson County | US-322 MAIN ST | 1 |
| Jun 10, 2021 | Northumberland County | SR-0044 BRIDGE AV | 1 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | Bucks County | SR-4013 DIAMOND ST | 1 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | Bensalem, Bucks County | GLENDALE DR | 1 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County | SR-611 BROAD ST | 1 |
| Jun 8, 2021 | Monroe County | SR-3017 | 1 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | Lebanon, Lebanon County | LEHMAN ST | 1 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | Tioga County | FISH HILL RD | 1 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | Lancaster County | SR-23 NEW HOLLAND PIKE | 2 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | Cumberland County | SR-0641 NEWVILLE RD | 1 |
| Jun 7, 2021 | Upper Merion, Montgomery County | SR-0023 SCHUYLKILL RIVER RD | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County | SR-611 BROAD ST | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County | US-13 HUNTING PARK AVE | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Philadelphia, Philadelphia County | KENSINGTON AVE | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Elk County | MARKERT RD | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Bucks County | SR-663 JOHN FRIES HWY | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Lancaster County | SR-897 | 1 |
| Jun 6, 2021 | Armstrong County | SR-1003 MAHONING RD | 1 |
| Jun 5, 2021 | Chester, Delaware County | CULHANE ST | 1 |
| Jun 5, 2021 | Easton, Northampton County | SR-611 NORTH DELAWARE DR | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Pennsylvania in 2021
Rankings
Nearby states
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.