Pa. road fatalities rose in 2018
Include 47 killed in Lehigh Valley
The number of pedestrians killed in crashes in Pennsylvania shot up last year, leading overall road deaths across the Keystone State to jump 4.6% in 2018. In a news release Thursday, PennDOT officials said 1,190 people died in all crashes last year compared with 1,137 in 2017. Despite the increase, the 2018 figure is the third-lowest on record, according to Penn-DOT.
“Even one life lost is one too many, and Pennsylvania is committed to moving toward zero deaths,” PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said in the news release. “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.”
Some disturbing trends led to the increase of deaths. The number of pedestrians killed on Pennsylvania roads rose 34% from 150 to 201. Drugged- and drunken-driving fatalities crept up by 5.9%, from 335 in 2017 to 355 in 2018.
But there were improvements in other categories. The number of crashes involving a single vehicle going off the road dropped 5.5% from 506 to 478. The number of fatalities from crashes involving a motorcycle dropped 11.3% from 185 in 2017 to 164 last year. The state also saw fewer deaths from crashes involving heavy trucks — 136 in 2018 compared with 155 in 2017, a 12.2% improvement.
Aside from a dip in crash fatalities in 2017, the number of deaths on Pennsylvania roads has been consistent since 2013. During that time frame, road fatalities never rose above 1,208 or dropped below 1,188.
Although the 2018 fatalities are a jump from last year, they are still an improvement compared with historic data. PennDOT reported 1,468 people died in 2008. On average, 1,384 people statewide have died per year since 1999.
In the Lehigh Valley, 26 people died on the road in Lehigh County and 21 died in Northampton County. PennDOT statistics show 21 of those deaths involved a single vehicle going off the road. Eight of the 47 fatalities resulted from crashes involving an impaired driver.
Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com.