Traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania decreased in 2017, the continuation of a long-term trend, according to the state’s Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Last year, fatalities involving impaired-driver crashes dropped to 246 compared to 341 in 2016, unrestrained fatalities fell from 408 in 2016 to 378, and pedestrian deaths decreased from 172 to 150.
When compared to 2013, traffic fatalities dropped by 71 with 47 fewer unrestrained deaths and 203 fewer deaths in crashes involving impaired drivers.
Despite the declines, some crash types did see increases in 2017. Fatalities in work zones increased by three to 19, crash fatalities from drivers running red lights grew from 28 to 35, and deaths involving drivers age 75 years and older spiked from 132 to 153.
“Pennsylvania has continued to defy national crash trends by steadily decreasing the number of deaths on our roadways,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said. “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 invested $50 million in low-cost safety improvements at approximately 3,600 locations and more than $395 million in Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds on 458 unique safety projects from 2013 to 2017.