2010 Pennsylvania Crash Facts & Statistics

NHTSA · 2011 · ROSA P / Pennsylvania. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

This document is a statistical report published by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Highway Safety and Traffic Engineering, detailing motor vehicle crash data for the calendar year 2010. The report compiles information from traffic crash reports submitted by state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies in accordance with the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code. Its primary purpose is to provide a comprehensive statistical review of reportable crashes—defined as those involving injury, fatality, or vehicle damage requiring towing—to inform public safety initiatives and policy. The methodology relies on aggregated data from approximately 1,300 local police departments and the Pennsylvania State Police. The report defines specific categories for crash types, severity, and contributing factors, such as alcohol involvement and speed. It utilizes vehicle-miles of travel data to calculate fatality rates, noting that 2009 mileage figures were used for 2010 rate calculations due to reporting timing. The analysis covers various dimensions, including driver demographics, vehicle types, road conditions, and temporal patterns. In 2010, Pennsylvania recorded 121,312 reportable crashes, resulting in 1,324 deaths and 87,949 injuries. This total represents the second-lowest crash count since 1951. The fatality rate was 1.28 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles of travel, also the second-lowest recorded since 1935. While total crashes increased slightly by 0.1% from 2009, fatalities rose by 5.4%. The economic loss attributed to these crashes was estimated at $14.5 billion, equating to approximately $1,148 per resident. Passenger cars were involved in the majority of crashes (58.4%), followed by light trucks, SUVs, and vans (34.5%). "Hit fixed object" crashes were the most common type (31.0%), while head-on collisions, though less frequent, accounted for the third-highest number of deaths. Male drivers aged 21–25 were involved in more crashes than any other demographic group. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for 459 deaths, and speed-related crashes accounted for 404 deaths. The report also highlights trends in pedestrian and bicyclist injuries, seat belt usage, and rollover incidents involving light trucks and vans. The significance of this report lies in its documentation of long-term safety improvements, evidenced by the historic lows in crash totals and fatality rates. It provides critical baseline data for evaluating the effectiveness of highway safety programs, such as seat belt laws and DUI enforcement. By breaking down data by county, road type, and vehicle class, the report enables targeted interventions for high-risk areas and demographics, such as young male drivers and motorcycle operators, whose occupant fatalities increased from 2009 to 2010.

Key finding

In 2010, Pennsylvania recorded 121,312 reportable traffic crashes resulting in 1,324 deaths and 87,949 injuries, with a fatality rate of 1.28 deaths per hundred million vehicle-miles of travel.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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Topics

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

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence