Traffic Accident Facts & Statistics: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 1989
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Summary
This document is a statistical report published by the Center for Highway Safety of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, detailing motor vehicle traffic accidents in Pennsylvania for the calendar year 1989. The data is compiled from traffic accident reports submitted by state, county, municipal, and other law enforcement agencies. The report serves as a comprehensive review of accident trends, geographic distributions, and specific characteristics of crashes, fatalities, and injuries. In 1989, Pennsylvania recorded 151,461 total accidents, resulting in 1,878 fatalities and 152,589 injuries. The report categorizes accidents by severity: 1,715 were fatal, 98,511 involved injuries, and 51,235 were property damage only. The economic loss due to these reportable accidents was estimated at $5.48 billion, equating to $461.00 per resident. Historical trends from 1980 to 1989 show a decline in the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles, dropping from 2.39 in 1980 to 2.22 in 1989. Alcohol involvement was a significant factor, present in 11.2% of all accidents and 44.5% of fatal accidents. The report provides detailed breakdowns by vehicle type, driver characteristics, and location. Passenger car operators accounted for the majority of fatalities, while pedestrians and motorcyclists represented 13.4% and 6.0% of highway deaths, respectively. Male drivers were involved in 64.6% of all accidents and 78.4% of fatal accidents. Saturday was identified as the most dangerous day, accounting for 21.2% of fatal accidents, with the hours of 1:00 AM and 2:00 AM being the most dangerous times. Local highways had the highest accident rate per 100 million vehicle miles (280.27), compared to state highways (179.26), interstates (72.44), and the Turnpike (43.85). Seat belt usage statistics indicate that 53.7% of people involved in accidents had belts in use, while 26.5% had belts not in use. The report estimates that 100% seat belt use among passenger car occupants would have prevented 689 fatalities and saved approximately $1.56 billion in economic losses. Alcohol-related data highlights that 825 fatalities were alcohol-related in 1989, with DUI arrest rates and accident frequencies mapped by county. The document also includes specific analyses of pedestrian, motorcycle, and truck-related accidents, as well as construction zone and holiday accident statistics, providing a granular view of safety issues across the Commonwealth.
Key finding
In 1989, Pennsylvania recorded 1,878 highway fatalities and 152,589 injuries across 151,461 reportable accidents, with alcohol involvement present in 44.5% of fatal crashes.
Methodology
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- Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence