Here’s The Most Dangerous Highway In Pennsylvania

With Labor Day fast approaching, as well as the start of school, pumpkin spice lattes, changing leaves, and all the other fun things that go along with fall — it’s the right time to look back at the summer.

The good folks at ASecureLife, an online platform that provides reviews of home security systems, chose to look back at a summertime subject that generally flies under the radar — the risks of summer driving.

While many in the Philadelphia area might assume a highly trafficked freeway like the Schuylkill Expressway or even a stretch of I-95 would be the deadliest, they didn't even top the local area.

Pennsylvania's deadliest highway was I-81, a north-south road that runs for 232 miles from the Maryland state line in the middle of the state up to northeastern Pennsylvania and the border with New York state. The road saw 28 fatalities in the summer months between 2015 and 2017.

In southeastern Pennsylvania, US-30, also known as Lincoln Highway, was the most dangerous. It was also the second most dangerous overall in the state, with 19 fatalities in that time period.

US-22 William Penn Highway was third with 17.

To raise awareness on the matter, ASecureLife analyzed three years worth of data, from 2015 to 2017, to find out which roads had the highest number of fatal car crashes from May through September.

The security website used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Winter can obviously be a dangerous time for drivers with slippery roads and heavy snowfall, but summer driving has its own risks. “With teen drivers out for summer break, families on long road trips, and fun outings like barbecues and beach trips, roads can be hectic and packed,” said ASecurityLife.

To give some perspective on how the summer fatality numbers in the United States compare to the dangers of winter driving — the Federal Highway Administration found that on average the combination of snow, sleet, icy pavement, and slushy pavement accounted for 1,705 deaths a year on U.S. roads between 2007-2016. In comparison, ASecureLife found that 1,768 deaths occurred on average annually between May and September in the three years from 2015 through 2017.

While this is not an exact comparison between the winter and summer months, as ASecureLife included all summer accident fatalities that occurred on U.S. roads, and the Federal Highway Administration only included accidents directly tied to snow, sleet, icy pavement, and slushy pavement — it does create a comparison between the two.

Here are the top ten deadliest summer highways in the country:

1. California: I-5 — 192 fatalities
2. Florida: US-1 — 160 fatalities
3. Florida: I-95 — 158 fatalities
4. Texas: I-10 — 154 fatalities
5. Texas: I-20 — 151 fatalities
6. California: US-101 — 139 fatalities
7. Texas: I-35 — 139 fatalities
8. Florida: I-75 — 122 fatalities
9. Georgia: 1-75 — 111 fatalities
10. California: SR-99 — 110 fatalities

“Generally, the number of traffic fatalities reflect the size of the state,” said ASecurityLife. “But Florida’s a notable exception. It’s much smaller than California or Texas, yet all three states have about the same number of fatalities.”

South Carolina’s US-17 also had 82 fatalities, a high number considering the state is one of the ten smallest in the country. According to ASecurityLife, I-95 was a top-three deadliest-summer highway in eight different states.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests regular maintenance on the following to make sure your vehicle is in top condition:

• Tires
• Lights
• Cooling System
• Fluid Levels
• Belts
• Hoses
• Wiper Blades
• Air Conditioning
• Floor Mats