Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis

53 CRASHES IN
PRINCETON, MA
2024

All metrics benchmarked against2023

In 2024, Princeton recorded 53 total traffic crashes, an 8.2% increase from the 49 crashes reported in 2023. While overall crashes rose, the number of fatalities decreased from one in the prior year to zero in the current period. The total number of injuries remained relatively stable, with 11 in 2024 compared to 12 in 2023.

53

8.2%was 49

Total Crash Events

0

-100.0%was 1

Persons Killed

11

-8.3%was 12

Persons Injured

0

-100.0%was 2

Hit-and-Run Crashes

Note: "Persons Killed" (0) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (0) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records

Trend Summary

Traffic crashes in Princeton saw a modest year-over-year increase, rising by 8.2% from 49 incidents in 2023 to 53 in 2024. Despite the rise in total collisions, outcomes improved, with fatalities dropping from one to zero and total injuries decreasing slightly from 12 to 11.

Vulnerable Road User Casualties

0

Motorists Killed

Prior: 1-100.0%

11

Motorists Injured

Prior: 110.0%

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)

When Crashes Happen

The temporal patterns of crashes showed some consistency year-over-year. The peak days for collisions remained Monday and Tuesday in both 2023 and 2024. The 4 p.m. hour was a peak time for crashes in both periods, with 6 incidents in both years. However, a secondary peak observed at 7 a.m. in 2023 (6 crashes) was less pronounced in 2024 (3 crashes).

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)

Crash Severity Breakdown

Crash severity improved in 2024 compared to the previous year. The city recorded zero fatal crashes, down from one in 2023. The proportion of crashes resulting in any level of injury (serious, minor, or possible) decreased from 16.3% in 2023 to 13.2% in 2024. Consequently, the share of non-injury crashes increased from 79.6% of all incidents in 2023 to 86.8% in 2024.

Outcome by Severity (Crash Events)

Serious Injury1serious injury crashes1.9%
0.0%prior 1
Minor Injury5minor injury crashes9.4%
25.0%prior 4
Possible Injury1possible injury crashes1.9%
-66.7%prior 3
No Injury46no injury crashes86.8%
17.9%prior 39

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · KABCO injury classification scale

Severity Distribution (Crash Events)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Most severe injury per crash record

Top Contributing Factors

While "No improper driving" was a leading circumstance in both years, its count decreased from 20 in 2023 to 18 in 2024. There were notable shifts in specific driver behaviors; crashes attributed to being "Fatigued/asleep" doubled in count from 2 to 4. Conversely, crashes involving a "Distracted" driver saw a significant decrease, falling from 5 incidents in 2023 to just 1 in 2024. "Driving too fast for conditions" was cited in 5 crashes in 2024, a factor not listed among the top contributors in 2023.

Officer-Reported Primary Contributing Cause

No improper driving18 (34%)-10.0%prior 20
Disregarded traffic signs, signals, road markings5 (9.4%)
Driving too fast for conditions5 (9.4%)
Fatigued/asleep4 (7.5%)
Inattention4 (7.5%)
Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, vehicle, object, vulnerable user in roadway3 (5.7%)
Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner2 (3.8%)
Other improper action2 (3.8%)
Failure to keep in proper lane or running off road1 (1.9%)
Failed to yield right of way1 (1.9%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Officer-reported primary contributory cause per crash

Road & Environmental Conditions

A larger proportion of crashes in 2024 occurred during favorable conditions compared to the prior year. Crashes on dry roads increased from 59.2% of the total in 2023 to 69.8% in 2024. Similarly, collisions during daylight hours rose from 46.9% to 60.4% of all incidents. The share of crashes happening on adverse road surfaces like snow, ice, or wet pavement decreased from 38.8% in 2023 to 30.2% in 2024.

Weather

Clear33 (62.3%)
32.0%prior 25
Cloudy9 (17.0%)
0.0%prior 9
Rain3 (5.7%)
Snow/Sleet, hail (freezing rain or drizzle)2 (3.8%)
Snow2 (3.8%)
Sleet, hail (freezing rain or drizzle)1 (1.9%)
Fog, smog, smoke1 (1.9%)
Snow/Rain1 (1.9%)
Rain/Fog, smog, smoke1 (1.9%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash

Lighting

Daylight32 (60.4%)
39.1%prior 23
Dark - roadway not lighted16 (30.2%)
6.7%prior 15
Dawn2 (3.8%)
Dusk2 (3.8%)
-71.4%prior 7
Dark - lighted roadway1 (1.9%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Lighting condition field

Road Surface

Dry37 (69.8%)
27.6%prior 29
Wet8 (15.1%)
0.0%prior 8
Snow6 (11.3%)
-33.3%prior 9
Ice1 (1.9%)
Slush1 (1.9%)

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Road surface condition field

Vehicles & Demographics

The vehicle makes involved in crashes shifted between the two periods. While Ford was the most common make in 2023 with 15 vehicles, its involvement decreased to 7 in 2024. In 2024, Toyota became the most frequent make with 8 vehicles, followed by Honda, Ford, and Jeep, each involved in 7 crashes. The age demographics of persons involved also changed; the proportion of individuals in the 16-20 and 65+ age groups increased, while the share of those aged 0-15 decreased.

Top Vehicle Makes (68 vehicles)

1
TOYOTA8 (11.8%)
-27.3%prior 11
2
HONDA7 (10.3%)
16.7%prior 6
3
FORD7 (10.3%)
-53.3%prior 15
4
JEEP7 (10.3%)
5
SUBARU5 (7.4%)
-16.7%prior 6
6
HYUNDAI4 (5.9%)
7
GMC3 (4.4%)
8
ACURA3 (4.4%)
9
KIA2 (2.9%)
10
CHEVROLET2 (2.9%)
-71.4%prior 7

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Vehicle unit records

Sex Distribution (88 persons with recorded sex)

Male50 (56.8%)
-18.0%prior 61
Female38 (43.2%)
-2.6%prior 39

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events

Speed Limit Zones

There was a notable shift in the speed zones where crashes occurred. In 2024, the 30 mph zone saw the largest number of crashes, with the count more than doubling from 9 in 2023 to 20. This made it the most common zone for crashes, whereas in 2023 the 40 mph zone had the most incidents (23). The single fatal crash recorded in 2023 occurred in a 40 mph zone; there were no fatal crashes in any speed zone in 2024.

Source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV) · Arcgis_yearly Open Data · 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location

Data Sources & Methodology

Primary Data Source

All crash data in this report is sourced from Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV), accessed programmatically via the Arcgis_yearly Open Data API (SODA). This dataset contains official police-reported motor vehicle traffic crash records maintained by the reporting jurisdiction's law enforcement agency. Records are published to the open data portal by the municipality and are subject to the portal's terms of use.

Data Retrieval

  • Access method: Arcgis_yearly Open Data API (SoQL queries)
  • Data format: Structured JSON via REST API
  • Record types queried: Crash events, person records, and vehicle unit records
  • Date filter applied: 2024-01-01 through 2024-12-31
  • Report generated: June 21, 2026

Data Coverage

  • Reporting period: 2024-01-01 through 2024-12-31 (366 days)
  • Geographic scope: PRINCETON, MA
  • Total crash records analyzed: 53
  • Total persons involved: 88
  • Total vehicles involved: 68

Analytical Methodology

  • Severity classification: Uses the KABCO injury scale (K=Fatal, A=Incapacitating injury, B=Non-incapacitating injury, C=Possible injury, O=No injury/property damage only), the standard classification in U.S. Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). Severity is assigned per crash event based on the most severe injury in that crash. A single fatal crash (K) may involve multiple fatalities; therefore the "Persons Killed" count in the headline KPIs may differ from the "Fatal" crash count in the severity breakdown.
  • Contributing factors: Reflect the officer-determined primary contributory cause recorded at the time of the crash report. These are preliminary determinations and may not reflect final investigation findings.
  • Hit-and-run classification: Based on the hit-and-run indicator field in the official crash report, as determined by the responding officer at the scene.
  • Temporal analysis: Day-of-week and hour-of-day distributions are computed from the crash date/time timestamp in each record.
  • Demographics: Age and sex distributions are drawn from person-level records linked to each crash event. A single crash may involve multiple persons.
  • Vehicle data: Make information is drawn from vehicle unit records linked to each crash event.
  • AI commentary: Narrative sections are generated by Google Gemini (large language model) based on the structured data. Commentary is descriptive, not predictive, and should not be interpreted as expert opinion.

Limitations & Disclaimers

  • Only crashes reported to and documented by law enforcement are included. Minor incidents, unreported crashes, and near-misses are not captured in this dataset.
  • Data reflects conditions at the time of the initial police report and may be subject to subsequent corrections, reclassifications, or supplements by the reporting agency.
  • Open data portal records may experience a publication lag - recently occurring crashes may not yet appear in the dataset at the time of report generation.
  • AI-generated commentary is produced by a large language model and is intended to highlight patterns in the data. It does not constitute legal, medical, or professional analysis.
  • Percentages are calculated from reported data and are subject to rounding.

Non-Affiliation Disclosure

This report is produced independently by ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in partnership with any law enforcement agency, municipal government, state department of transportation, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Data is sourced from publicly available government open data portals.

Data License

The underlying crash data is provided under the municipality's Open Data Terms of Use and is made available to the public for unrestricted use. This analysis and report is © 2026 Injuria.ai and may be cited with attribution using the suggested citation below.

Corrections & Feedback

If you believe any data in this report is inaccurate or have questions about our methodology, please contact: data@injuria.ai. We are committed to accuracy and will issue corrections promptly.

Suggested Citation

ThatCarHitMe.com (Injuria.ai). "PRINCETON, MA Crash Intelligence Report: 2024." Published June 21, 2026. Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Data source: Massachusetts Crash Data (MassDOT CDV), Arcgis_yearly Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/massachusetts/princeton/2024-annual-report

About the Publisher

ThatCarHitMe.com is a crash data intelligence platform developed by Injuria.ai, a legal technology company specializing in traffic safety analytics. We aggregate and analyze publicly available government crash data to produce structured intelligence reports for communities, researchers, journalists, and legal professionals. Our reports combine programmatic data retrieval from official open data portals with AI-assisted narrative analysis.

Questions about this report's data or methodology: data@injuria.ai

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Princeton, MA Crash Report — 2024 | ThatCarHitMe.com