Philadelphia traffic deaths still higher than pre-pandemic levels
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Fatal crashes in Philadelphia are declining but the city still has one of the highest traffic death rates of big cities in the U.S., a new Vision Zero report shows.
The big picture: Philadelphia's per-capita rate of traffic deaths in 2023 was worse than Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C.'s — and nearly three times that of New York's, per the latest data.
Driving the news: Philly is on pace to finish this year with fewer traffic deaths than 2023, when there were 123, per the report.
- The city has reported 84 traffic deaths through Sept., 16 fewer than at the same time last year.
State of play: Philly has obtained more than $200 million in grants since 2016 to continue improving road safety across the city.
- But last year's fatal crash rate is still well above pre-pandemic levels: 22% of severe crashes in 2023 were fatal, compared to 17% in 2019.
By the numbers: Philadelphians living in some of the city's poorest neighborhoods account for a disproportionate amount of traffic crash hospitalizations and deaths.
- Black residents had the highest hospitalization rate across racial groups between 2019 and 2023, per the report. Black pedestrians were hospitalized 59% more than white pedestrians.
- The crash-death rate was highest among Latinos, at 10 per 100,000 residents.
Zoom in: Most fatal crashes were on the High Injury Network, a small corridor of city streets that accounts for 80% of severe crashes.
- There have been 14 traffic fatalities on Broad Street in 2024, overtaking Roosevelt Boulevard as the city's most dangerous street, per data through September.
- Speed cameras have helped save 50 lives since they were installed on Roosevelt Boulevard in 2020, per the report.
Stunning stat: Men in Philadelphia — many of them between the ages of 18 and 35 — were driving in 75% of Philly's fatal crashes.
- They're also three times more likely to die in fatal crashes than women.