Cumberland County Traffic Accidents in 2020

In 2020, Pennsylvania had a total of 104,493 traffic accidents. Being the 9th most populated state in America, it is no surprise that many accidents occur. This number is down considerably compared to 2019’s vehicle accident report. But because of the COVID-19 shutdown and more people working from home, it is not surprising that 2020’s numbers are lower.

How does Cumberland County factor into these traffic accident statistics? What Cumberland County road has the most accidents? What age group is the most accident-prone? Every year, PennDOT provides vehicle accident reports and statistics, where information such as time of day, location, and more are recorded. By looking at the latest PennDOT data, we can find out this information.

Cumberland County Crash Statistics

Cumberland County is Pennsylvania’s 16th most populated county. Like any other county in PA, accidents happen daily on the Cumberland County roads. Especially with Carlisle in this county and being close to Harrisburg. In 2020, there were a total of 2,030 vehicle crashes in Cumberland County. This represented 1.94% of the total Pennsylvania road vehicle crashes.

Accidents By Location

Hampden Township, being located close to Harrisburg and the traffic associated with that city, sits atop the list in municipalities with highest vehicle accidents. Carlisle came in second. These two areas represent most of the vehicle accidents in Cumberland County. Route 11 and Route 81 are busy highways that run through both Hampden Township and Carlisle. It is fair to conclude that a lot of vehicle accidents occurred on those highways in those two specific areas.

Municipalities with the Most Accidents

  • Hampden Twp – 229 (11.28%)
  • Carlisle Boro – 187 (9.21%)
  • Silver Spring Twp – 178 (8.77%)
  • South Middleton Twp – 159 (7.83%)
  • East Pennsboro Twp – 124 (6.11%)
  • Middlesex Twp – 118 (5.81%)
  • Lower Allen Twp – 116 (5.71%)
  • Lemoyne Boro – 104 (5.12%)

Most Accident Prone Roadways

  • Route 11 – 299 (14.73%)
  • Route 81 – 250 (12.32%)
  • Route 641 – 127 (6.26%)
  • Route 944 – 94 (4.63%)
  • Route 114 – 82 (4.04%)

Accidents By Month

Winter and Fall months are very prone to vehicle accidents. This is when cold weather and rainy and snowy weather begin to effect roads. Vehicle accidents are more common when roads are slick from rain and precipitation, and that is reflected by the months with the most vehicle accidents.

  • October – 235 (11.58%)
  • November – 209 (10.30%)
  • January – 199 (9.80%)
  • December – 187 (9.21%)
  • September – 186 (9.16%)
  • August – 177 (8.72%)

Accidents By Time of Day

After work rush hour traffic between the hours of 4pm – 5pm saw the most vehicle accidents. This is also reflected with the weekdays of Wednesday and Friday being the two days of the week with the most vehicle accidents.

Accidents by Day of the Week

  • Wednesday – 333 (16.40%)
  • Friday – 328 (16.16%)
  • Saturday – 298 (14.68%)
  • Monday – 291 (14.33%)
  • Thursday – 283 (13.94%)
  • Tuesday – 261 (12.86%)
  • Sunday – 235 (11.58%)

Time of Day with the Most Accidents

  • 4pm – 5pm – 183 (9.01%)
  • 3pm – 4pm – 163 (8.03%)
  • 5pm – 6pm – 154 (7.59%)
  • 12pm – 1pm – 126 (6.21%)

Accidents By Involvement

Accidents Involving Teens

Out of all the accidents in Cumberland County in 2020, a high 24.04% of them involved a teenage driver.

  • 19 year olds – 252 (12.41%)
  • 18 year olds – 100 (4.93%)
  • 17 year olds – 100 (4.93%)
  • 16 year olds – 36 (1.77%)

Accidents Involving Senior Citizens

18.67% of all accidents in Cumberland County involved at least one driver that was 65 or older, and 7.14% of all accidents involved a driver 75 or older.

  • 65-74 years old – 234 (11.53%)
  • 75+ years old – 145 (7.14%)