HARRISBURG PA – The overall number of people who lost their lives in a Pennsylvania highway crash decreased to 1,127 during 2024, the second-lowest figure since record-keeping began in 1928, the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reports.
Also, total fatalities attributed to Pennsylvania vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers dropped from 429 in 2023 to 342 during 2024, it adds. The department issued its annual report Friday (May 2, 2025).
Coordinated law enforcement campaigns, including those targeting impaired drivers during holiday and vacation periods, were cited as among several reasons for the decrease in crash-related deaths.
The impairment statistics cover drivers whose abilities are limited by alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription medication, or some combination of those substances. PennDOT notes that Pennsylvania employs more than 260 drug recognition experts, who look for impaired drivers and assist in driving-under-the-influence investigations when drug-impaired driving is suspected.
Driver behavior is the leading factor in 83% of the crashes that occur annually in Pennsylvania, the department claims. While the “decrease in fatalities is certainly good news, even one life lost is one too many,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll observes.
The driving public, he adds, must pay attention to the road, follow speed limits, never drive impaired, and buckle seat belts.
Tackling the Problem With Investments
To ensure transportation safety, the department says the state during a four-year period has invested about:
- $32.4 million statewide in federal grant funds for behavioral safety programs to reduce fatalities and serious injuries;
- $591 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds for 392 unique safety projects;
- $50 million in state funds for low-cost safety improvements at more than a thousand locations. They include center-line and edge-line rumble strips, warning signs, pavement markings, and high-friction surface treatments; and
- $6.2 million distributed from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for impaired driving enforcement.
While fatalities for most types of crashes were down in 2024, some types saw increases. Fatalities in intersection crashes increased to 321, up from 301 in 2023. Fatalities in crashes at intersections with a stop sign also increased, from 98 in 2023 to 111 last year.
PennDOT says it regularly reviews factors in fatal crashes at intersections and works to improve safety at intersections with stop signs by addressing issues like sight and stopping distance.
Additionally, the department currently is installing pedestrian countdown timers at nearly 800 signalized intersections across Pennsylvania. It’s expected to decrease crashes by about 8%.
Photo by Anthony Maw on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license
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