Any place where there are multiple vehicles traveling near each other or where vehicles and pedestrians might encounter one another, there is the risk of a crash. Collisions occur in sleepy residential neighborhoods and on the highway during rush hour.
Drivers need to constantly remain alert for the possibility of someone near them losing control of their vehicle or doing something obviously unsafe. Although constant vigilance is valuable for those who want to avoid collisions, it also makes sense to avoid places where your crash risk is higher.
Some roads in Pennsylvania are statistically far more likely than others to be the scene of a fatal collision. Which roads are the most dangerous based on the number of fatal crashes in recent years?
Philadelphia has many of the worst roads
The three deadliest roads are all in Philadelphia, but Bristol, Canonsburg, Bucks County and Westmoreland County were all also on the list. The third deadliest road saw eight fatalities in eight crashes between 2017 and 2019. SR-611 N. Broad Street, specifically between Stenton Ave. and W. Susquehanna Ave., is the third deadliest section of road in the state. I-95 between Dock St. and Exit 17 also saw eight deaths during the same three years.
US-1 Roosevelt Blvd. between W. Wyoming Ave. and Hartel Ave is the most dangerous road in the state. There were 22 deadly crashes in that five-mile section of road in three years, and 24 people died.
Must you avoid the most dangerous roads?
You may question whether the best approach to learning about the deadliest roads in recent years would be to try not to drive on them at all if possible. However, avoiding major thoroughfares and interstates isn’t always reasonable, especially when you don’t have navigation assistance available to you or need to reach some place quickly.
Rather than unilaterally avoiding all of the roads included on the list of the deadliest in the state, it is probably a much smarter choice to employ defensive driving techniques on these roads. Treating the drivers that you encounter on US-1 or Sr-611 as someone imminently at risk of causing a car wreck could be the difference between being safe on the road and ending up hurt because of someone else’s irresponsible actions.
Learning more about where and when your risks are highest can help you make smart choices that will minimize your likelihood of an automobile crash.