2009 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics

NHTSA · 2009 · ROSA P / Pennsylvania. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

The "2009 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics" report, published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), provides a comprehensive statistical review of reportable motor vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania for the calendar year 2009. The document compiles data from traffic crash reports submitted by state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies. Its primary purpose is to document the frequency, severity, and characteristics of traffic incidents to inform highway safety strategies. The report highlights that 2009 marked a significant milestone, recording the lowest total number of reportable crashes since 1951 and the lowest fatality rate since records began in 1935. The methodology relies on aggregated data from 121,242 reportable crashes, defined as incidents involving injury, fatality, or vehicle damage requiring towing. The analysis categorizes crashes by injury severity, crash type, vehicle type, driver demographics, environmental conditions, and geographic location. The report utilizes five-year trend data to contextualize 2009 figures against previous years and calculates economic losses based on federal guidelines for the cost of fatalities and injuries. Specific definitions are provided for terms such as "alcohol-related" crashes, which include any incident where a driver or pedestrian was drinking, regardless of fault. Key findings indicate that 1,256 people were killed and 87,126 were injured in 2009. Fatalities decreased by 14.4% compared to 2008, while total crashes decreased by 3.3%. The fatality rate was 1.17 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel. Passenger cars were involved in the majority of crashes, followed by light trucks, SUVs, and vans. "Hit fixed object" was the most common crash type, accounting for 40.6% of incidents, while angle crashes were the second most frequent. Male drivers aged 16–20 were involved in more crashes than any other demographic group. Alcohol-related deaths dropped significantly to 449, and speed-related deaths fell to 355. The estimated economic loss due to these crashes totaled approximately $13.7 billion, equating to $1,086 per Pennsylvania resident. The significance of this report lies in its documentation of sustained improvements in traffic safety outcomes. The data demonstrates a long-term downward trend in fatality rates, attributed to improvements in vehicles, roadways, and safety measures. The report underscores the disproportionate involvement of young male drivers and the high prevalence of light trucks in collisions. By providing detailed breakdowns of crash factors, including weather, road conditions, and restraint use, the document serves as a critical resource for policymakers and safety engineers aiming to further reduce traffic fatalities and injuries in the Commonwealth.

Key finding

Pennsylvania recorded 121,242 reportable traffic crashes in 2009, resulting in 1,256 fatalities and a fatality rate of 1.17 per hundred million vehicle-miles of travel, the lowest rate recorded since records began in 1935.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• fatality injury trends
• comparative international

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, observational prevalence