Traffic deaths in Pennsylvania reached an all-time low last year.
Traffic deaths in Pennsylvania reached an all-time low last year.
The state Department of Transportation on Monday released data from last year, noting that 1,137 people died in crashes on Pennsylvania roads in 2017. That number, which is 51 people fewer than 2016, is the lowest number recorded since record-keeping began in 1928.
According to PennDOT, significant decreases were seen in pedestrian-related fatalities as well as impaired driving accidents.
Specifically, there were 246 deaths last year attributed to impaired drivers, compared to 341 in 2016. In addition, there were 150 pedestrian deaths last year compared to 172 in 2016.
Despite the overall decrease in fatalities, increases were seen in certain segments. For instance, there were 153 fatalities last year involving drivers 75 years or older, up from 132 such incidents in 2016. Also, fatalities in construction work zones increased from 16 in 2016 to 19 last year.
Regardless, PennDOT celebrated the fact that Pennsylvania has “continued to defy national crash trends by steadily decreasing the number of deaths on our roadways.”
“Our biggest priority continues to be getting the public to their destinations safely through educational outreach, the latest innovations, effective enforcement and low-cost safety improvements,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said in a news release.
In the news release, PennDOT said it has spent $395 million on 458 safety projects since 2013, which could be a factor in decreasing deaths on state roadways.