Pennsylvania Highway Fatalities On The Rise

Traffic deaths in Pennsylvania increased to 1,190 in 2018, up from the record low of 1,137 in 2017. But last year was the third-lowest number of highway fatalities recorded in the state and decreases occurred in several types of fatal accidents last year.

According to PennDOT, there were fewer deadly single vehicle run-off-the-road incidents (478 compared to 506 in 2017), fatal motorcycle crashes (164 compared to 185) and deadly truck accidents (136 compared to 155).

PennDOT noted that in addition to the year-to-year decline in those categories, longer-term trends also continue to decrease. Compared to 2014, there were five fewer total traffic
deaths, 15 fewer deaths in crashes involving impaired drivers, and 56 fewer fatalities in single vehicle run-off-the-road crashes.

But the following crash types saw fatality increases in 2018:

• Crashes involving drug- or alcohol-impaired drivers – 355 fatalities, up from 335 in 2017.
• Crashes involving pedestrians – 201 fatalities, up from 150.
• Crashes involving drivers aged 65-74 – 188 fatalities, up from 124.

According to national data, more than 90 percent of crashes are caused by driver behavior. So PennDOT focuses on education improvements and invests $18 million annually in federal grant funds statewide to support behavioral safety programs.

"Our biggest priority continues to be safe travel regardless of the mode you use, and we continue to work with our partners to decrease fatalities through education and outreach," PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said.