Data Shows Vehicle Crashes Down in 2020

Fewer vehicles were on the road during much of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And fewer vehicles on the road equals fewer crashes.

According to 2019 and 2020 data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), vehicle crashes in rural counties decreased from 33,078 in 2019 to 28,048 in 2020, a 15 percent decline. In urban counties there was a 17 decline during this period.

Despite the decrease in overall crashes, there was an increase in statewide fatal crashes from 2019 to 2020. Statewide fatal vehicle crashes increased from 990 in 2019 to 1,060 in 2020, a statistically significant increase from 2019 crashes. This significant change occurred primarily in urban counties; rural counties saw no significant change in the number of fatal crashes.

Statewide drunk driving crashes continued a 4-year decline, with less than 7 percent of all 2020 crashes involving alcohol. However, overall impaired driving had a slight increase in 2020, due to an increase in drug-related vehicle crashes in rural and urban counties.

Crashes that involved falling asleep at the wheel decreased 10 percent, from 2 percent of all crashes in 2019 to 1.8 percent in 2020, which is statistically significant. Crashes involving unbelted drivers or passengers went from 10 percent of all crashes in 2019 to 11 percent of all crashes in 2020: this increase occurred in both rural and urban counties.

Consistent with previous years, only 25 percent of crashes occurred on local roads, with most occurring on state roads and interstates.

- Center for Rural Affairs