The number of people killed in car crashes fell to a near-record low in Pennsylvania last year, but speeding and alcohol remain the most common factors in fatal collisions across the state, according to data from PennDOT
The state's annual report on vehicle crashes breaks down trends in road behavior and the circumstances that most often result in crashes. Pennsylvania had 110,765 reportable traffic crashes in 2024, resulting in 1,127 deaths. Total crashes increased by 383 compared with 2023 — causing a higher number of injuries — but there were 82 fewer deaths.
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Last year marked the second-lowest number of crash deaths in Pennsylvania since records were first kept in 1928. The record low was 1,059 fatalities in 2019. The state's peak in traffic fatalities occurred in 1973, when 2,444 people were killed. The state recorded more than 2,000 traffic deaths every year from 1965 to 1981, but has only surpassed that mark once since then in 1987.
Among all fatal crashes last year, speeding was a factor in the deaths of 357 people — about 32% of all fatalities. Alcohol was involved in crashes that claimed 244 lives, making up about 22% of fatalities last year.
Alcohol-related deaths declined from 308 in 2023, but PennDOT noted such crashes were nearly 3 1/2 times more likely to result in deadly injuries than those unrelated to drinking.
About 72% of the fatal crashes involving alcohol last year were attributed to men driving under the influence. Nearly 75% of those who died were people driving drunk, and 90% of the fatalities involving alcohol occurred in vehicles driven by someone under the influence.
PennDOT said the state has seen an improvement in the number of crash deaths involving underage drinking. Among people between 16 and 20 years old, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 8% of driver deaths last year. That's down from 10% in 2023 and 23% in 2022 among that age group.
Heavier traffic on the days surrounding major federal holidays contributed to a total of 13,103 crashes in Pennsylvania last year. There were 152 deaths during those periods, accounting for roughly 13% of total traffic deaths in 2024. The day before Thanksgiving and New Year's Day accounted for the most crashes, but travel around Labor Day was tied to more deaths than any other holiday last year.
The report notes that 9% of all holiday crashes involved alcohol use last year, but 30% of traffic deaths during holiday weekends were alcohol-related.
Behind speeding, the most common causes of crashes in Pennsylvania last year were improper turns, distracted driving and violations of traffic laws at signals and other stops.
More than 46% of people killed in fatal crashes last year were not wearing seat belts, the report said.
PennDOT also noted a two-year trend of increasing crashes between cars and bicycles. There were 1,271 crashes last year, up from 810 in 2022 and 1,100 in 2023. The crashes last year resulted in the deaths of 19 cyclists, and 107 bicyclists were killed in crashes statewide from 2020 through 2024. Collisions between cars and pedestrians were down last year, falling to 3,035 from 3,199 in 2023. There were 174 pedestrians killed by cars in 2024 and a total of 872 pedestrians killed in crashes during the five-year period ending last year.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll called the decrease in traffic fatalities last year "good news," but said the state must continue to invest in education and outreach to improve road safety.
"We will only get to zero fatalities when everyone works together," Carroll said in a statement after the report was released earlier this year. "Please pay attention when you are driving, always follow the speed limit, and never drive impaired."