HARRISBURG, Pa. — With traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania on the rise this year, crashes are disproportionately affecting drivers in rural areas.
After declining slightly for several years, traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania spiked during the pandemic. The number of fatal crashes again dipped in 2022, but early crash data from PennDOT shows 2023 traffic fatalities again rising.
A study released by the Governors Highway Safety Association found the risk of dying in a crash was 62% higher on a rural road compared to an urban road for the same trip length.
“The challenge is that there are such systematic, logistical differences between urban and rural communities that make it very difficult to address widespread reasons for these types of accidents,” said Kyle Kopko, executive director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
Causes of crashes include older roads, lack of bike lanes, lack of lighting at night and wildlife.
When a crash happens in a rural area, the rate of fatalities goes up because of the distance and time it takes emergency responders to get to the crash scene, as well as a lack of cell phone service.
“[Improved cellular phone access] would certainly help with first responders. That’s something we’ve heard anecdotes about,” Kopko said.
Rural areas are home to 20% of America’s population, but 46% of all car crashes, according to the report.
Not wearing a seatbelt is a major cause of crashes on rural roads. More than half of motor vehicle occupants killed in rural road crashes between 2016 and 2020 were unrestrained, the report said.
Kopko said more education was needed to prevent risky behaviors like speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.
“They might feel safe just going for a short drive without wearing their seatbelt or maybe going a little over the speed limit but these rules and recommendations are there for a reason: to keep us all safe. I think that individuals just need to keep that in mind every time they get behind the wheel,” he said.
Under a federal mandate, Pennsylvania is developing a plan to protect everyone on the road. The plan is set to be released in November.