Lancaster 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 Lancaster County factor into these traffic accident statistics? What Lancaster 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.

Lancaster County Crash Statistics

Lancaster County is Pennsylvania’s 6th most populated county. As a result, it is natural that Lancaster is prone to traffic accidents. Major Pennsylvania highways and the Pennsylvania Turnpike run through Lancaster County. Because of the sheer number of vehicles on the local roads, it is no wonder that there are auto accidents in Lancaster County. In 2020, there were a total of 4,800 vehicle crashes in Lancaster. This represented 4.6% of the total Pennsylvania road vehicle crashes. This is a decrease compared to 2019’s statistics. Compared to last year, Lancaster County had a total of 5,954 accidents, which accounted for 4.75% of Pennsylvania’s total number of accidents.

Accidents By Location

Downtown Lancaster city is home to tight streets and a high volume of daily drivers passing through. Additionally, Manheim Township is home to the major highways of Route 30, Route 222, and Route 283. It is no surprise that these two municipalities stand above the other municipalities in Lancaster County. Manheim Township and Lancaster City regularly resides at the top of these rankings. Last year, although flip flopped, they were both one and two in the rankings.

Municipalities with the Most Accidents

  • Lancaster City – 562 (11.71%)
  • Manheim Township – 550 (11.46%)
  • East Hempfield Township – 328 (6.83%)
  • East Lampeter Township – 251 (5.23%)
  • West Hempfield Township – 198 (4.13%)
  • West Lampeter Township – 151 (3.15%)
  • Rapho Township – 148 (3.08%)
  • East Cocalico Township – 140 (2.92%)

Most Accident Prone Roadways

  • Route 30 – 405 (8.44%)
  • Route 222 – 395 (8.23%)
  • Route 462 – 261 (5.44%)
  • Route 272 – 256 (5.33%)
  • Route 23 – 224 (4.67%)

 

Accidents By Month

Winter months are very prone to vehicle accidents. Cold weather and winter precipitation such as freezing rain and snow can make roads slick and unsafe. These cold months always sit atop the list. October was the leader in both 2019 and in 2020.

  • October – 524 (10.92%)
  • January – 497 (10.35%)
  • November – 472 (9.83%)
  • December – 457 (9.52%)
  • September – 440 (9.17%)
  • August – 418 (8.71%)

Accidents By Time of Day

Looking at the statistics, rush hour between the hours of 4pm – 6pm saw the most accidents. When looking at the day of the week, every weekday had more accidents than weekends. We can conclude that rush hour in the weekday after work was the time prone to the most accidents. With more people on the road driving home from work, this is no surprise.

Accidents by Day of the Week

  • Friday – 786 (16.38%)
  • Wednesday – 764 (15.92%)
  • Thursday – 710 (14.79%)
  • Monday – 697 (14.52%)
  • Tuesday – 664 (13.83%)
  • Saturday – 656 (13.67%)
  • Sunday – 524 (10.92%)

Time of Day with the Most Accidents

  • 4-5 pm – 396 (8.25%)
  • 5-6 pm – 390 (8.13%)
  • 3-4 pm – 363 (7.56%)
  • 2-3 pm – 337 (7.02%)

Accidents By Involvement

Accidents Involving Teens

Out of all the accidents in Lancaster County in 2020, 17.58% of them involved a teenage driver. This number is an increase compared to 2019, which saw 16.1% of accidents involving a teen driver.

  • 18 year olds – 261 (5.44%)
  • 19 year olds – 252 (5.25%)
  • 17 year olds – 240 (5.00%)
  • 16 year olds – 91 (1.90%)

Accidents Involving Senior Citizens

19.98% of all accidents in Lancaster involved at least one driver that was 65 or older, and 7.52% of all accidents involved a driver 75 or older.

  • 65-74 years old – 598 (12.46%)
  • 75+ years old – 361 (7.52%)

Accidents Involving Buggies

In 2020, there were 23 accidents that involved a horse and buggy. This number is decreased compared to 2019, when there were 29 accidents involving a horse and buggy. There could be more accidents that involved Amish and Plain community members who were being driven in another vehicle, but that is not reported in the data.