Age, impairment, and lack of seatbelts were the most common factors in deadly vehicle crashes in Lancaster County over five recent years, according to PennDOT.
PennDOT reviewed 28,751 crashes reported in Lancaster County between 2014 and 2018 for cause factors and other characteristics.
The analysis showed 440 people died on Lancaster County roadways during that five-year span. Twenty-one percent of those fatal crashes involved a person not wearing a seatbelt.
The recently released data also shows that:
- Drivers aged 65 and older were involved in 16.5 percent of deadly crashes.
- Impaired drivers were involved in 14 percent of deadly crashes.
- Ten percent of deadly crashes involved excessive speed.
Our office is reporting this data not as a critique or commentary, but as a presentment of information that could save lives.
To that purpose, we urge individuals taking medication to check this valuable resource – Roadwise RX – which explains how medications impact a person’s ability to drive.
The most common factors in all crashes (fatal and non-fatal) were:
1. Driver 65 or over: 18.6%
2. Teen Driver (16-19): 17.8%
3. Distracted Driving: 16%
A full view of PennDOT’s crash data can be found here: PennDot Crash Data.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright