Pennsylvania State Police troopers conducted more than 25,000 traffic stops across the Lehigh Valley region in 2025, and an independent study found no substantive racial or ethnic disparities in traffic-stop decisions or enforcement outcomes after legal and situational factors were considered.

The findings are part of the Pennsylvania State Police’s 2025 Traffic Stop Study, which analyzed 423,007 trooper-initiated traffic stops statewide. The report was conducted by a research team based at the University of Cincinnati and led by Dr. Robin Engel, a senior research scientist at Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and a nationally recognized policing researcher.

For Lehigh Valley residents, the most relevant findings come from Troop M, which includes the Bethlehem, Fogelsville, Belfast, Dublin and Trevose stations. Troop M recorded 25,298 traffic stops during 2025, including 7,664 stops by the Bethlehem station and 7,264 by the Fogelsville station.

The study found Troop M had one of the state’s most diverse populations of stopped motorists. White non-Hispanic drivers accounted for 49.5% of stops, while Hispanic motorists represented 22.5% and Black motorists 19.9%.

Unlike the statewide trend, speeding was not the primary reason motorists were stopped in Troop M. Other moving violations accounted for 38.7% of stops, followed by registration violations at 30.1% and speeding at 22.1%. Drivers stopped for speeding in Troop M averaged 26.5 mph over the posted speed limit, compared with a statewide average of 21.7 mph.

Troop M troopers issued warnings in 61% of stops and citations in 48.5%. Arrests occurred in 4.3% of stops, while searches were conducted in 5.5%.

State police said the report is part of an ongoing effort to improve transparency and public trust.

“The independent analysis by nationally recognized policing expert Dr. Robin Engel and her team confirms, once again, that Pennsylvania State Police members initiate traffic stops based on legitimate legal violations,” Acting Commissioner Lt. Col. George L. Bivens said in a release.

“Decisions regarding warnings, citations, searches, and arrests are driven by the facts of each encounter, including the reason for the stop, investigative findings, and a driver’s behavior, not by race or ethnicity,” Bivens said. “Our commitment to fair and impartial policing is supported by transparent, independently reviewed data.”

Researchers used several statistical methods, including the widely used ‘Veil of Darkness’ analysis, to determine whether race or ethnicity influenced traffic-stop decisions.

The study also found no meaningful racial or ethnic differences in the likelihood of receiving a warning, citation, arrest or search after accounting for legal and situational factors.

“For over 15 years, the Pennsylvania State Police have partnered with independent researchers to strengthen transparency and build public trust through rigorous traffic stop data collection and analysis,” Engel said in the release.

“The 2025 findings show high-quality data, stable patterns over time, and no substantive racial or ethnic disparities in traffic stop enforcement outcomes after relevant legal and situational factors are considered,” she said.

“This sustained commitment to evidence-based policing positions PSP as a national leader in accountability and continuous improvement.”

Statewide, nearly 60% of traffic stops involved moving violations. Arrests occurred in just 3.7% of stops, while searches were conducted in 4.5% of cases. PSP reported that discretionary searches resulted in the seizure of contraband in nearly 67% of cases.