1995 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics

NHTSA · 1995 · ROSA P / Pennsylvania. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

The 1995 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics report, published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, provides a comprehensive statistical overview of traffic safety in the Commonwealth for the calendar year 1995. The document addresses the magnitude of traffic crashes, their economic impact, and specific risk factors such as alcohol involvement, seat belt usage, and demographic trends. It serves as a factual record to inform highway safety policy and public awareness, highlighting that while the fatality rate reached a historic low, the absolute number of crashes and injuries remained substantial. The report aggregates data from 136,804 reportable crashes involving 351,049 persons and 230,927 vehicles. The methodology involves categorizing crashes by severity (fatal, injury, property damage only), location (county and engineering district), time, and contributing factors. Economic losses were estimated using revised PennDOT procedures, calculating costs based on crash severity. The analysis compares 1995 data against historical trends from 1983 to 1995 and provides county-level breakdowns for fatalities, injuries, and seat belt usage rates. Specific attention is given to alcohol-related incidents, pedestrian safety, and vehicle types, including passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and school buses. In 1995, 1,480 persons were killed and 133,177 were injured, resulting in an estimated economic loss of $10.75 billion, or approximately $890.71 per resident. The fatality rate was 1.57 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles, the second lowest recorded in Pennsylvania history. Alcohol was involved in 9.8% of all crashes and 34.7% of fatal crashes, with 514 alcohol-related fatalities. Seat belt usage was documented in 63.7% of people involved in crashes where belt status was known; the report estimates that 100% belt usage would have prevented 464 fatalities and saved $2.3 billion. Males accounted for 62.1% of drivers in all crashes and 75.3% in fatal crashes. Fatal crashes peaked on weekends, particularly Saturdays, and between 5 P.M. and 8 P.M. Local highways exhibited the highest crash and injury rates per vehicle-mile traveled, while Interstates had the lowest fatality rates. The findings underscore the persistent economic and human costs of traffic crashes despite improvements in fatality rates. The data highlights alcohol impairment as a critical factor in fatal crashes and identifies significant potential for injury reduction through increased seat belt compliance. The report provides granular geographic data, allowing for targeted safety interventions in high-risk counties and engineering districts. By detailing trends in driver demographics, vehicle types, and crash conditions, the document offers a baseline for evaluating the effectiveness of highway safety measures and informing future regulatory and educational initiatives in Pennsylvania.

Key finding

There were 136,804 reportable crashes in Pennsylvania in 1995, resulting in 1,480 fatalities and 133,177 injuries, with an estimated societal cost of $10.752 billion.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes