Truckers: Here are PA’s Most Dangerous Cities for Driving
When we think about dangerous driving conditions, we often focus on driver behavior or road design—but a new analysis suggests that where you drive in Pennsylvania might be just as important.
Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Truck Parking Club recently ranked Pennsylvania cities by their rate of fatal accidents. The study focused on cities with at least 20,000 residents and 10 or more deadly crashes, and it calculated accident rates per 10,000 people to provide a clearer comparison. Statewide, Pennsylvania ranked 44th in the nation for overall traffic fatalities in 2022, with 1,179 lives lost. But within the state, a few cities stood out for having significantly higher per capita fatality rates.
At the top of the list was Allentown, where 11 fatal accidents resulted in 12 deaths. That amounts to 0.9 deadly crashes per 10,000 residents—still below the national average, but the highest rate among Pennsylvania’s larger cities. Interestingly, most of these accidents didn’t occur on highways but on local city streets, suggesting that even lower-speed urban driving carries serious risks.
Philadelphia ranked second. Despite having a slightly lower fatal accident rate of 0.8 per 10,000 residents, the city experienced a staggering 133 deadly crashes that resulted in 142 fatalities. Unlike Allentown, Philadelphia’s most dangerous roads were its state highways, where higher speeds and heavier traffic likely contributed to the severity of these crashes.
Pittsburgh came in third, also with a fatal crash rate of 0.8 per 10,000 residents. The city recorded 25 fatal accidents, all of which resulted in death. Like Allentown, most of these incidents happened on local city streets rather than major highways.
The Bigger Picture
In 2022, more than 42,000 people lost their lives in vehicle crashes across the United States. That’s roughly one death per 10,000 Americans, making car crashes a leading cause of death nationwide. While safety regulations have helped reduce fatalities for decades, those gains were reversed in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. With fewer cars on the road, some drivers engaged in riskier behaviors—including speeding and driving under the influence. Unfortunately, many of those habits have persisted even as traffic levels returned to normal. Though there was a slight decline in 2022, fatal crash numbers remain higher than at any point in the past decade.
Nationally, the cities with the highest fatal crash rates tend to be smaller, often under 50,000 residents, with many located in the Southeast. These cities frequently have geographic hazards—hilly terrain, dense forests, or waterfront roads—that add to the danger, especially when drivers are distracted by scenic views or unfamiliar routes.
Crashes involving large trucks can be especially devastating. Their size and weight can turn even minor collisions into fatal events, particularly on highways where speeds are high. If you have been injured in a trucking accident and you believe the driver or company that owned the truck was negligent in some way, please contact us. Talking to a top Philadelphia law firm for trucking accidents may help you better understand your legal options and make an informed decision as to the next steps to take.