Fatal Crashes Only
This report covers fatal crashes only, from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System — the federal census of every crash on a US public road that killed someone within 30 days. It does not include injury or property-damage-only crashes, and its totals are not comparable with the all-severity crash reports published elsewhere on this site.
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YEAR-OVER-YEAR CRASH REPORT · PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA · 2023
Purpose: Machine-readable JSON endpoint for AI agents, LLMs, researchers, and programmatic consumers. Returns all underlying crash data and AI-generated commentary without HTML.
Authentication: None required. Public endpoint.
Yearly Traffic Safety Analysis
128 CRASHES IN
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
2023
In 2023, Philadelphia experienced 128 fatal crashes, a 3.76% decrease compared to 133 fatal crashes in 2022. Total fatalities also saw a decrease, falling from 142 in 2022 to 135 in 2023, a 4.93% reduction. A notable shift was observed in cyclist fatalities, which increased by 200% from 3 in 2022 to 9 in 2023.
128
▼ -3.8%was 133
Total Crash Events
135
▼ -4.9%was 142
Persons Killed
110
▲ 7.8%was 102
Persons Injured
37
▲ 5.7%was 35
Hit-and-Run Crashes
Note: "Persons Killed" (135) counts individual fatalities across all crash events. "Fatal" in the severity table below (128) counts crash events where at least one fatality occurred. A single crash can result in multiple fatalities.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Aggregate counts from crash, person, and vehicle records
Trend Summary
Fatal crashes in Philadelphia decreased by 3.76% year-over-year, from 133 in 2022 to 128 in 2023. Concurrently, total fatalities also saw a 4.93% reduction, decreasing from 142 to 135. However, the number of injured persons in fatal crashes increased by 7.84%, rising from 102 in 2022 to 110 in 2023.
37
Hit-and-Run Crashes — 2023
▲ 5.7% vs prior (35)
The number of fatal hit-and-run crashes increased slightly from 35 in 2022 to 37 in 2023. The rate of hit-and-run incidents as a percentage of all fatal crashes also rose from 26.3% in 2022 to 28.9% in 2023. This indicates an upward trend in the proportion of fatal crashes involving a hit-and-run.
Vulnerable Road User Casualties
56
Pedestrians Killed
9
Cyclists Killed
68
Motorists Killed
2
Other Killed
5
Pedestrians Injured
0
Cyclists Injured
105
Motorists Injured
0
Other Injured
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Mode classified from person records (driver/passenger → motorist; pedestrian; bicyclist → cyclist; in-line skater / unspecified → other)
When Crashes Happen
The peak day for fatal crashes shifted in 2023, with Sunday, Monday, and Saturday each recording 21 fatal crashes, whereas Saturday was the sole peak day in 2022 with 28 fatal crashes. The peak hour also changed, moving from 2 AM with 14 fatal crashes in 2022 to 8 PM with 13 fatal crashes in 2023. Fatal crashes on Saturday decreased from 28 in 2022 to 21 in 2023, a 25% reduction.
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash date field aggregated by weekday
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash time field aggregated by hour (0-23)
Road & Environmental Conditions
Fatal crashes occurring in clear weather conditions decreased from 117 in 2022 to 105 in 2023, a 10.3% reduction. Conversely, fatal crashes during rain conditions doubled, increasing from 7 in 2022 to 14 in 2023. Regarding lighting, daylight fatal crashes decreased by 22.7% from 44 in 2022 to 34 in 2023, while crashes during dusk saw a significant increase from 1 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
Weather
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Weather condition at time of crash
Lighting
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Lighting condition field
Vehicles & Demographics
The top vehicle makes involved in fatal crashes saw some shifts, with Chevrolet remaining prominent but decreasing from 22 in 2022 to 16 in 2023. Toyota increased its representation from 13 in 2022 to 16 in 2023, now tied with Chevrolet. For persons involved in fatal crashes, the 26-34 age group continued to be the most represented, though their count decreased from 72 in 2022 to 60 in 2023.
Top Vehicle Makes (172 vehicles)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
40 persons with unknown or unrecorded age excluded from age chart.
Sex Distribution (306 persons with recorded sex)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Speed Limit Zones
Fatal crashes occurring in 30 mph speed zones increased by 25.6%, from 43 in 2022 to 54 in 2023, making it the most frequent speed zone for fatal crashes in 2023. Crashes in 25 mph zones also increased by 31.8%, from 22 in 2022 to 29 in 2023. Conversely, fatal crashes in 35 mph zones decreased by 38.7%, from 31 in 2022 to 19 in 2023.
Fatal crashes by zone: 15 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 20 mph: 8 of 8 (100%) · 25 mph: 29 of 29 (100%) · 30 mph: 54 of 54 (100%) · 35 mph: 19 of 19 (100%) · 40 mph: 6 of 6 (100%) · 45 mph: 1 of 1 (100%) · 50 mph: 4 of 4 (100%) · 55 mph: 3 of 3 (100%)
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Posted speed limit at crash location
Manner of Collision
The dominant manner of collision in fatal crashes for both years was 'The First Harmful Event was Not a Collision with a Motor Vehicle in Transport', increasing from 86 in 2022 to 99 in 2023, representing 77.3% of current fatal crashes. Angle collisions, the second most common type, decreased by 30.8% from 26 in 2022 to 18 in 2023. Front-to-Rear collisions also saw a significant decrease of 62.5%, from 8 in 2022 to 3 in 2023.
Manner of Collision
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Vehicle Type
The most common vehicle body type involved in fatal crashes for both periods was the '4-door sedan, hardtop', which increased from 69 in 2022 to 72 in 2023. 'Compact Utility' vehicles saw a 29% decrease in involvement, from 31 in 2022 to 22 in 2023. Fatal crashes involving 'Two Wheel Motorcycles' significantly decreased by 43.8%, from 16 in 2022 to 9 in 2023.
Vehicle Type
Showing top 9 of 26 reported. 17 additional (34 total) not shown: Transit Bus (City Bus), Other or Unknown automobile type, Motor Scooter, Utility Vehicle, Unknown body type, 3-door/2-door hatchback, 5-door/4-door hatchback, Convertible(excludes sun-roof,t-bar), Minivan (Chrysler Town and Country, Caravan, Grand Caravan, Voyager, Voyager, Honda-Odyssey, ...), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR greater than 26,000 lbs.), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 10,001 to 19,500 lbs.), Truck-tractor (Cab only, or with any number of trailing unit; any weight), Utility station wagon (includes suburban limousines, Suburban, Travellall, Grand Wagoneer), Single-unit straight truck or Cab-Chassis (GVWR range 19,501 to 26,000 lbs.), Unknown light vehicle type (automobile,utility vehicle, van, or light truck), Unknown motored cycle type, Off-road Motorcycle, Unenclosed Three Wheel Motorcycle / Unenclosed Autocycle (1 Rear Wheel).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Roadway Functional Class
Fatal crashes predominantly occurred on principal arterial roadways, increasing from 63 in 2022 to 66 in 2023. Crashes on local roadways also increased by 17.9%, from 28 in 2022 to 33 in 2023. Conversely, fatal crashes on minor arterial roadways decreased by 20%, from 20 in 2022 to 16 in 2023, and those on Interstate roadways saw a 40% reduction, from 15 in 2022 to 9 in 2023.
Roadway Functional Class
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Roadway Ownership
The number of fatal crashes on roadways owned by the State Highway Agency remained constant at 80 for both 2022 and 2023. Fatal crashes on City or Municipal Highway Agency roadways decreased by 10.8%, from 37 in 2022 to 33 in 2023. This indicates that state-owned roads continue to account for the largest share of fatal crashes, while municipal roads saw a slight improvement.
Roadway Ownership
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Type
Drivers remained the most represented person type in fatal crashes, though their count decreased by 9.6% from 189 in 2022 to 171 in 2023. Pedestrian involvement also saw a 7.6% decrease, from 66 in 2022 to 61 in 2023. Notably, the number of bicyclists involved in fatal crashes increased significantly by 200%, rising from 3 in 2022 to 9 in 2023.
Person Type
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Person Injury Severity
Fatalities (K) decreased by 4.9% from 142 in 2022 to 135 in 2023. However, the number of persons sustaining serious injuries (A) in fatal crashes increased substantially by 94.4%, from 18 in 2022 to 35 in 2023. Similarly, minor injuries (B) rose by 81.8% from 22 to 40, and possible injuries (C) increased by 57.1% from 7 to 11, indicating a rise in non-fatal injuries despite fewer fatalities.
Person Injury Severity
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Occupant Safety Equipment
Among motor vehicle occupants in fatal crashes, the use of 'Shoulder and Lap Belt Used' increased by 80%, from 45 in 2022 to 81 in 2023. Conversely, the number of occupants reported with 'None Used/Not Applicable' safety equipment decreased by 28.2%, from 71 in 2022 to 51 in 2023. This suggests an improvement in safety equipment usage among those involved in fatal crashes.
Occupant Safety Equipment
"Other" combines 1 smaller categories (1 records): Child Restraint System - Forward Facing (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Person-level records linked to crash events
Point of Impact
The '12 Clock Point' (front impact) remained the most frequent point of impact in fatal crashes, though its count decreased by 19.6% from 107 in 2022 to 86 in 2023. Impacts at the '1 Clock Point' saw a substantial increase of 77.8%, rising from 9 in 2022 to 16 in 2023. Conversely, '6 Clock Point' (rear impact) incidents decreased by 53.8%, from 13 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
Point of Impact
"Other" combines 11 smaller categories (36 records): 8 Clock Point (6), 4 Clock Point (5), Non-Collision (5), 7 Clock Point (4), 9 Clock Point (4), Undercarriage (3), Left-Front Side (3), 5 Clock Point (3), 2 Clock Point (1), Top (1), Left (1).
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Vehicle unit records
Vehicles Per Crash
Single-vehicle fatal crashes increased by 20.9%, rising from 67 in 2022 to 81 in 2023, making them the most common type of fatal crash. Conversely, fatal crashes involving two vehicles decreased by 20.8%, from 48 in 2022 to 38 in 2023. Fatal crashes involving three vehicles also saw a significant reduction of 45.5%, decreasing from 11 in 2022 to 6 in 2023.
Vehicles Per Crash
Source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · Federal fatal-crash census · 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31 · Crash-level records
Data Sources & Methodology
Primary Data Source
All crash data in this report is sourced from NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), accessed programmatically via the NHTSA FARS 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: NHTSA FARS 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: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31
- Report generated: August 5, 2026
Data Coverage
- Reporting period: 2023-01-01 through 2023-12-31 (365 days)
- Geographic scope: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Total crash records analyzed: 128
- Total persons involved: 331
- Total vehicles involved: 172
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). "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Crash Intelligence Report: 2023." Published August 5, 2026. Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31. Data source: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes), NHTSA FARS Open Data. Available at: https://thatcarhitme.com/crash-data/pennsylvania/fatal/philadelphia/2023-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
ThatCarHitMe.com · An Injuria.ai Company
ThatCarHitMe.com
An Injuria.ai Company
Crash Data Intelligence
Data: NHTSA FARS (Fatal Crashes) · NHTSA FARS
Period: 2023-01-01 – 2023-12-31
Generated: August 5, 2026 · All rights reserved
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