Highlights Northern Pennsylvania (PA) counties with UNG drilling had higher crash rates than with no drilling. Northern PA increase in crash rates for all vehicles and heavy trucks were 5% and 23%, respectively. Southwest PA counties with drilling did not show same significant impact of UNG drilling on crash rates. Results suggest southwest PA region may be better prepared to accommodate increases in UNGD traffic.

    Abstract Objectives We examined the association between shale gas drilling and motor vehicle accident rates in Pennsylvania. Methods Using publicly available data on all reported vehicle crashes in Pennsylvania, we compared accident rates in counties with and without shale gas drilling, in periods with and without intermittent drilling (using data from 2005 to 2012). Counties with drilling were matched to non-drilling counties with similar population and traffic in the pre-drilling period. Results Heavily drilled counties in the north experienced 15–23% higher vehicle crash rates in 2010–2012 and 61–65% higher heavy truck crash rates in 2011–2012 than control counties. We estimated 5–23% increases in crash rates when comparing months with drilling and months without, but did not find significant effects on fatalities and major injury crashes. Heavily drilled counties in the southwest showed 45–47% higher rates of fatal and major injury crashes in 2012 than control counties, but monthly comparisons of drilling activity showed no significant differences associated with drilling. Conclusions Vehicle accidents have measurably increased in conjunction with shale gas drilling.


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    Title :

    Increased traffic accident rates associated with shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2014-11-01


    Size :

    7 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English