I-81 in Pennsylvania: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 169 fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania killed 214 people, the 2nd most of 996 numbered roads in Pennsylvania. In 2024 there were 17 fatal crashes and 20 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 9 counties of Pennsylvania. All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania. I-81 in every state.
Deaths on I-81 in Pennsylvania by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17 | 20 |
| 2023 | 14 | 20 |
| 2022 | 13 | 19 |
| 2021 | 21 | 23 |
| 2020 | 15 | 19 |
| 2019 | 17 | 18 |
| 2018 | 17 | 18 |
| 2017 | 17 | 21 |
| 2016 | 24 | 35 |
| 2015 | 14 | 21 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-81 in Pennsylvania: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Cumberland County had the most fatal crashes on I-81 from 2015 to 2024: 37, with 45 deaths. Cumberland, Franklin and Lackawanna counties together held 49% of fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2024; the 8 listed held 99%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland County | 3 | 37 | 45 |
| 2 | Franklin County | 6 | 25 | 35 |
| 3 | Lackawanna County | 0 | 20 | 26 |
| 4 | Luzerne County | 0 | 20 | 23 |
| 5 | Lebanon County | 4 | 19 | 23 |
| 6 | Dauphin County | 2 | 19 | 22 |
| 7 | Schuylkill County | 1 | 16 | 23 |
| 8 | Susquehanna County | 1 | 12 | 16 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-81 in Pennsylvania
169 fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 2 pm to 3 pm; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.7 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Wed | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.3 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 4.1 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.0 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.1 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan5.9%
- Feb4.7%
- Mar8.9%
- Apr8.3%
- May7.7%
- Jun9.5%
- Jul10.7%
- Aug11.2%
- Sep5.3%
- Oct11.8%
- Nov8.9%
- Dec7.1%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-81 in Pennsylvania
7.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 233 miles of I-81 in Pennsylvania, against 5.8 for all interstates in Pennsylvania. That ranks 2 of 4 interstates in Pennsylvania and 98 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 49%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 28%, a pedestrian in 8.3%, a parked vehicle in 7.1%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 82 | 49% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 48 | 28% |
| Pedestrian | 14 | 8.3% |
| Parked vehicle | 12 | 7.1% |
| Other | 7 | 4.1% |
| Rollover | 6 | 3.6% |
| Cyclist | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania compare with the state
The largest difference from Pennsylvania: from 2015 to 2024, 0.0% of fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania were at or near an intersection, against 24% across Pennsylvania. Also above the Pennsylvania share: unlit roads at night and distracted drivers. Below it: drinking drivers, unbelted occupants, motorcycles and pedestrians. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Pennsylvania. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 169 crashes.
| I-81 | Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 44% | 45% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.0% | 24% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 40% | 25% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| A drinking driver | 17% | 25% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Speeding | 43% | 40% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 10% | 5.3% | above the Pennsylvania share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 47% | 58% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Hit-and-run | 5.3% | 5.1% | about the same as the Pennsylvania share |
| A motorcycle involved | 9.5% | 18% | below the Pennsylvania share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 8.9% | 14% | below the Pennsylvania share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-81 in Pennsylvania
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-81 in Pennsylvania?
- 169 fatal crashes killed 214 people on I-81 in Pennsylvania from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 17 fatal crashes and 20 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-81 in Pennsylvania do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Cumberland County had the most fatal crashes on I-81 from 2015 to 2024: 37, with 45 deaths. Franklin County was second with 25.
- How dangerous is I-81 in Pennsylvania per mile?
- 7.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 233 miles of road, against 5.8 for all interstates in Pennsylvania. That ranks 2 of 4 interstates in Pennsylvania and 98 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Pennsylvania with a page
- I-376
- I-476
- I-76
- I-80
- I-95
- State Highway 30
- State Highway 309
- State Highway 61
- State Highway 611
- State Highway 8
- US 1
- US 11
All fatal crashes in Pennsylvania, with every road ranked.
Where the I-81 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-81 in Pennsylvania (filed under 14 spellings, such as "I-81", "I-81 AMEMRICAN LEGION MEM HWY", "I-81 AMERCIAN LEGION MEM HW", "I-81 AMERICAL LEGION MEM HW"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.