HARRISBURG, PA — Highway fatalities in Pennsylvania decreased significantly in 2024, with 1,127 lives lost, marking the second lowest total since record-keeping began in 1928. The number represents an 82-fatality decrease from 2023, underscoring progress in statewide safety efforts.
“While this decrease in fatalities is certainly good news, even one life lost is one too many,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT will continue to work with our partners to decrease traffic deaths through education and outreach, but we will only get to zero fatalities when everyone works together. Please pay attention when you are driving, always follow the speed limit, and never drive impaired. And buckle up! Your seat belt can save your life in a crash.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) remains committed to enhancing road safety through targeted investments and enforcement initiatives. Annually, PennDOT allocates $32.4 million in federal behavioral safety grant funds to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Between 2020 and 2024, approximately $591 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds were utilized for 392 safety projects, alongside $50 million in state-funded, low-cost improvements like rumble strips, high-friction surface treatments, and enhanced signage.
Fatality reductions were most notable in impaired-driving crashes, which dropped from 429 in 2023 to 342 in 2024, and lane-departure crashes, where fatalities declined from 629 to 537. These trends reflect the effectiveness of PennDOT’s safety measures, including enforcement campaigns targeting impaired driving and infrastructure upgrades to prevent lane-departure incidents.
However, fatalities in intersection crashes rose to 321, up from 301 in 2023. Fatalities at intersections controlled by stop signs also increased from 98 to 111 during the same period. To address these issues, PennDOT is enhancing safety at intersections by reviewing contributing factors, improving visibility, and installing nearly 800 pedestrian countdown timers at signalized intersections statewide. This improvement is projected to cut crashes at intersections by about 8%.
Driver behavior remains the leading cause in 83% of crashes across Pennsylvania. PennDOT emphasizes that choices such as driving impaired, distracted, or aggressively are preventable. Through continued collaboration and strategic investments, PennDOT aims to further reduce fatal accidents and move closer to the goal of zero roadway fatalities.
For more on reportable crash data, visit PennDOT’s Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool (PCIT) at crashinfo.penndot.pa.gov. Crash download spreadsheets and the “Custom Query Tool” now include 2024 data. The 2024 “Facts Book” and “Public Crash Databases” will be available by June 1.
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