Transportation Performance Management

State Highway Safety Report (2021) - Pennsylvania

The following provides a summary of the Highway Safety Improvement Program's (HSIP) safety performance measures and State safety performance targets. As per the Safety PM Final Rule, States are required to set annual safety performance targets in the HSIP annual report for the number of fatalities, rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), number of serious injuries, rate of serious injures per 100 million VMT, and number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries. The safety performance targets are based on 5-year rolling averages. States have the flexibility to use the methodology they deem most appropriate when establishing safety performance targets. FHWA encourages States to review data sets and trends and consider factors that may affect targets. The safety performance targets should be data-driven, realistic, and attainable and should align with the performance management framework and legislative intent.

A State Department of Transportation (DOT) has met or made significant progress towards meeting its safety performance targets when at least four of the five safety performance targets established under 23 CFR 490.209(a) have been met or the actual outcome is better than the baseline performance. The baseline performance is the 5-year average ending with the year prior to the establishment of the target.

The Basis for Target and Additional Comments are provided by the State in their HSIP Annual Report and have not been edited by FHWA. Any questions about individual State reports should be directed to the respective State DOT. For additional information about each State's HSIP, the complete reports are available at https://highways.dot.gov/safety/hsip/reporting.

More information and resources on Safety Performance Management are available at https://highways.dot.gov/safety/hsip/spm/safety-performance-management-safety-pm-overview.

All State data used to populate the State Highway Safety Reports for 2021 are available for download at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpm/reporting/state/tpm_dashboard_data.zip.

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  Number of Fatalities

• Number of Fatalities	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Annual	1,200	1,188	1,137	1,190	1,059	1,129	1,230
  5-Year Average					1,154.8	1,140.6	1,149.0
  Target (5-Year Average)							1,088.2	1,113.7	1,160.9

• Basis for Number of Fatalities Target

  • 2021 Target
  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target

  In October 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) committed to eliminate traffic deaths within 30 years. Pennsylvania’s 2017 SHSP has adopted a goal to support this national effort. This ambitious timeline will rely heavily on the implementation of autonomous vehicle technology, anticipated between 2025 and 2030. Pennsylvania’s current target is to reduce 2019 fatalities by two percent per year through 2021. The target shown above (1,088.2) is the five-year rolling average for 2017-2021. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania’s historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in fatalities over the next 30 years will not be linear. This is based on actual fatal crash data from 2017 to 2019 and estimated fatal crash data in 2020 and 2021 assuming a 2% reduction each year.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to reduce 2020 fatalities by two percent per year through 2022. The target shown above (1113.7) is the five-year rolling average for 2018-2022. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in fatalities over the next 30 years will not be linear. This is based on actual fatal crash data from 2018 to 2020 and estimated fatal crash data in 2021 and 2022 assuming a 2% reduction each year.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to reduce 2021 fatalities by two percent per year through 2023. The target shown above (1160.9) is the five-year rolling average for 2019-2023. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in fatalities over the next 30 years will not be linear. This is based on actual fatal crash data from 2019 to 2021 and estimated fatal crash data in 2022 and 2023 assuming a 2% reduction each year.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2015-2020 Final FARS, 2021 FARS Annual Report File
  Targets: 2020-2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Fatality Rate (per 100 million VMT)

• Fatality Rate (per 100 million VMT)	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Annual	1.19	1.17	1.12	1.17	1.03	1.28	1.20
  5-Year Average					1.136	1.154	1.160
  Target (5-Year Average)							1.059	1.205	1.170

• Basis for Fatality Rate Target

  • 2021 Target
  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target

  The target shown above (1.059) is calculated using the 2017-2021 five-year rolling average for fatalities shown in the first metric and applying an estimated growth rate of .5% for vehicle miles traveled in 2020 and 2021.

  The target shown above (1.205) is calculated using the 2018-2022 five-year rolling average for fatalities shown in the first metric and applying an estimated growth rate of .5% for vehicle miles traveled in 2021 and 2022. The value of 1.113 in HSP performance target does not match what was submitted in the HSP (1.205).. We do not understand where the value of 1.113 is coming from but the website will not accept any other number here. Each time we try to enter 1.205 and complete the question the HSP performance target populates back to 1.113.

  The target shown above (1.170) is calculated using the 2019-2023 five-year rolling average for fatalities shown in the first metric and vehicle miles traveled holding level in 2022 and 2023.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2015-2020 Final FARS, 2021 FARS Annual Report File
  VMT: 2015-2021 FHWA Highway Statistics Series, VM-2 Table
  Targets: 2020-2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Number of Serious Injuries

• Number of Serious Injuries	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Annual	3,030	4,397	4,227	4,504	4,675	4,425	5,122
  5-Year Average					4,166.6	4,445.6	4,590.6
  Target (5-Year Average)							4,551.2	4,490.8	4,893.2

• Basis for Number of Serious Injuries Target

  • 2021 Target
  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target

  Pennsylvania’s current target is to hold 2019 serious injuries level through 2021. The target shown above (4,551.2) is the five-year rolling average for 2017-2021. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania’s historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in serious injuries over the next 30 years will not be linear. This goal is affected by the required definition change in suspected serious injuries per the FAST Act. PA's first year using the new Suspected Serious injury criteria was 2016. In 2020 we will have the first year where all suspected serious injury crash data will be under the same definition rule.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to hold 2020 serious injuries level through 2022. The target shown above (4490.8) is the five-year rolling average for 2018-2022. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in serious injuries over the next 30 years will not be linear.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to hold 2021 serious injuries level through 2023. The target shown above (4893.2) is the five-year rolling average for 2019-2023. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends and reduction in serious injuries over the next 30 years will not be linear.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Serious Injuries: 2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Report
  Targets: 2020-2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Rate of Serious Injuries (per 100 million VMT)

• Rate of Serious Injuries (per 100 million VMT)	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Annual	3.00	4.34	4.16	4.41	4.54	5.03	4.99
  5-Year Average					4.090	4.496	4.626
  Target (5-Year Average)							4.431	4.860	4.931

• Basis for Serious Injury Rate Target

  • 2021 Target
  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target

  The target shown above (4.431) is calculated using the 2017-2021 five-year rolling average for serious injuries shown in the second metric and applying an estimated growth rate of .5% for vehicle miles traveled in 2020 and 2021.

  The target shown above (4.860) is calculated using the 2018-2022 five-year rolling average for serious injuries shown in the second metric and applying an estimated growth rate of .5% for vehicle miles traveled in 2021 and 2022.

  The target shown above (4.931) is calculated using the 2019-2023 five-year rolling average for serious injuries shown in the second metric and vehicle miles traveled holding level in 2022 and 2023.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Serious Injuries: 2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Report
  VMT: 2015-2021 FHWA Highway Statistics Series, VM-2 Table
  Targets: 2020-2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Reports

• 

  Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries

• Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
  Annual	576	746	745	814	814	668	854
  5-Year Average					739.0	757.4	779.0
  Target (5-Year Average)							800.8	730.1	811.3

• Basis for Number of Non-Motorized Fatalities and Serious Injuries Target

  • 2021 Target
  • 2022 Target
  • 2023 Target

  Pennsylvania’s current target is to reduce 2019 non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries by reducing fatalities by two percent and holding serious injuries level each year through 2021. The target shown above (800.8) is the five-year rolling average for 2017-2021. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania’s historical data and observations of national trends.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to reduce 2020 non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries by reducing fatalities by two percent and holding serious injuries level each year through 2022. The target shown above (730.1) is the five-year rolling average for 2018-2022. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends.

  Pennsylvania's current target is to reduce 2021 non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries by reducing fatalities by two percent and holding serious injuries level each year through 2023. The target shown above (811.3) is the five-year rolling average for 2019-2023. This goal was established in conjunction with our Federal partners based on a combination of reviewing Pennsylvania's historical data and observations of national trends.

  
  

• Data Sources:
  Fatalities: 2015-2020 Final FARS, 2021 FARS Annual Report File
  Serious Injuries: 2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Report
  Targets: 2020-2022 Pennsylvania HSIP Annual Reports

Additional Comments

N/A

Safety Performance Target Assessment

PLEASE NOTE: Each State’s safety performance target assessment is based on its own State-specific target methodology and program philosophy. Therefore, conclusions should not be drawn based only on the information in the Safety Performance Target Assessment Summary table. For example, the State may have set aggressive targets, and not met those targets, while another State may have set more easily attainable targets, and met those targets. FHWA understands that each State’s safety program is unique and therefore does not prescribe a methodology for States to set targets. States have the flexibility to use the methodology they deem most appropriate when setting their safety performance targets.