Fatal crashes in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
In 2024, 137 people died in 133 fatal crashes in Philadelphia County, 1.5% more than in 2023. From 2015 to 2024 the county recorded 1,131 fatal crashes and 1,196 deaths, the most of any county in Pennsylvania.
8.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 8.6 across Pennsylvania in 2024; 7.6 against 9 a year over 2015 to 2024. Population 1,573,916, Census Bureau estimate. All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania.
Deaths in Philadelphia County by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 133 | 137 |
| 2023 | 128 | 135 |
| 2022 | 133 | 142 |
| 2021 | 128 | 133 |
| 2020 | 154 | 166 |
| 2019 | 86 | 91 |
| 2018 | 100 | 103 |
| 2017 | 91 | 94 |
| 2016 | 93 | 101 |
| 2015 | 85 | 94 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest roads in Philadelphia County
US 1 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Philadelphia County from 2015 to 2024: 85, with 90 deaths. The 15 roads listed held 37% of all fatal crashes in Philadelphia County from 2015 to 2024; 2 are interstates, 2 US routes, 11 state highways. Interstate, US and state routes with 5 or more fatal crashes in the county; county roads and city streets are in the county's total but not listed.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US 1 | 85 | 90 | 17 | |
| 2 | State Highway 611 | 57 | 58 | 27 | |
| 3 | I-95 | 55 | 60 | 21 | |
| 4 | US 13 | 33 | 34 | 15 | |
| 5 | I-76 | 21 | 28 | 7 | |
| 6 | State Highway 3007 | 21 | 24 | 0 | no page |
| 7 | State Highway 2009 | 20 | 21 | 3 | no page |
| 8 | State Highway 2016 | 19 | 21 | 4 | no page |
| 9 | State Highway 1004 | 18 | 22 | 1 | no page |
| 10 | State Highway 2001 | 17 | 18 | 2 | no page |
| 11 | State Highway 2014 | 17 | 17 | 3 | no page |
| 12 | State Highway 1003 | 15 | 17 | 2 | no page |
| 13 | State Highway 1005 | 15 | 15 | 1 | no page |
| 14 | State Highway 532 | 14 | 16 | 4 | no page |
| 15 | State Highway 1009 | 14 | 14 | 3 | no page |
Cities NHTSA filed, with their fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024: Philadelphia 1,043. The city is not filed for crashes outside a city.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Philadelphia County
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am, with 74 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 9 pm to 10 pm; the worst month is July.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 6.6 percent, 74 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 23 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 48 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.8 percent, 31 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 39 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 2.0 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 32 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.7 percent, 19 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 30 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 40 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.0 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 45 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 2.5 percent, 28 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 4.5 percent, 51 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 5.7 percent, 64 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 19 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 4.5 percent, 51 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.6%
- Feb5.4%
- Mar6.9%
- Apr7.2%
- May8.6%
- Jun9.3%
- Jul10.3%
- Aug9.2%
- Sep9.8%
- Oct9.5%
- Nov9.6%
- Dec7.5%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes in Philadelphia County first hit
The first harmful event was a pedestrian in 35%; a collision with another vehicle in 33%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 17%, a parked vehicle in 4.2%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian | 398 | 35% |
| Collision with another vehicle | 369 | 33% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 191 | 17% |
| Other | 57 | 5.0% |
| Parked vehicle | 47 | 4.2% |
| Cyclist | 46 | 4.1% |
| Rollover | 22 | 1.9% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.1% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes in Philadelphia County compare with Pennsylvania
A drinking driver was recorded in 16% of fatal crashes in Philadelphia County from 2015 to 2024, below the Pennsylvania share of 25%; speeding in 33%, below the Pennsylvania share of 40%; a hit-and-run in 21%, above the Pennsylvania share of 5.1%; a driver recorded as distracted in 1.6%, below the Pennsylvania share of 5.3%; 69% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, above the Pennsylvania share of 58%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Pennsylvania. A share is only given over 20 crashes.
| Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 0.6% | 45% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| At or near an intersection | 44% | 24% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 2.4% | 25% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| A drinking driver | 16% | 25% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Speeding | 33% | 40% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 1.6% | 5.3% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 69% | 58% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| Hit-and-run | 21% | 5.1% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| A motorcycle involved | 18% | 18% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 36% | 14% | above the Pennsylvania share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes in Philadelphia County
- How many people died in car accidents in Philadelphia County in 2024?
- 137 people died in 133 fatal crashes in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, in 2024, 1.5% more than in 2023. That is 8.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 8.6 across Pennsylvania.
- What is the deadliest road in Philadelphia County?
- US 1 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Philadelphia County from 2015 to 2024: 85, with 90 deaths.
- When do fatal crashes in Philadelphia County happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Sunday, midnight to 4 am, with 74 fatal crashes.
- How many fatal crashes in Philadelphia County involved a drinking driver?
- 180 of 1,131 fatal crashes in Philadelphia County from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 16%, against 25% across Pennsylvania.
Other counties in Pennsylvania with a page
- Allegheny County
- Bucks County
- Lancaster County
- Berks County
- Montgomery County
- York County
- Westmoreland County
- Chester County
- Luzerne County
- Dauphin County
- Lehigh County
- Erie County
All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania, with every county ranked.
Where the Philadelphia County numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash NHTSA filed in Philadelphia County (county code 101). A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. The rate per 100,000 uses the Census Bureau's population estimate for the county; it is the only figure here not counted from FARS. The full method.