Wolf Administration Announces Traffic Deaths Drop to Record Low in 2016, Bucking National Trend

Wolf Administration Announces Traffic Deaths Drop to Record Low in 2016,
Bucking National Trend

4/17/2017-HARRISBURG

PennDOT today announced that traffic deaths in Pennsylvania reached a
record
low in 2016 with 1,188 fatalities on Pennsylvania roadways last year, a new
low
since record keeping began in 1928, and 12 less than 2015.

"Our biggest priority is to keep the public safe through innovation,
roadway
improvements, and educational outreach," Governor Wolf said. "As fatality
numbers continue to trend downward, we still need to change driver
behavior,
keeping in mind that each person killed in a crash is a member of someone's

family."

While the number of highway deaths dropped in many types of crashes, there
were
significant decreases noted in run-off the road, hit fixed object, and
drinking
driver fatalities. Fatalities in run-off the road crashes dropped from 580
in
2015 to 518. Hit fixed object fatalities also decreased from 459 in 2015 to
401
last year. Deaths attributed to drinking-driver-related crashes declined to

263, down from 306 in 2015.

Fatalities increased in some types of crashes. There were 279 fatalities
that
occurred at intersections, up from 251 in 2015. Also, pedestrian deaths
resulting from crashes increased to 172 up from 153 in 2015.

Underscoring PennDOT's commitment to changing driver behavior and work
toward
zero deaths, the 2017 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) was released in
February. The SHSP was developed to maintain and build on momentum achieved
by
the state's previous strategic plans and outlines both existing and new
strategies that can be applied throughout the state. The plan, along with
other
highway safety information, is viewable at www.penndot.gov/safety.

In addition, from 2012 to 2016, PennDOT has invested more than $376 million
in
Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funds on 434 unique safety
projects.
During that same timeframe, another $50 million was invested in low-cost
safety
improvements at approximately 4,000 locations. Examples of low-cost safety
countermeasures include centerline and edge-line rumble strips, and signing
and
pavement markings. PennDOT also invests about $20 million annually in
federal
grant funds for safety education and enforcement efforts statewide.

The department also unveiled a new mapping tool on its Pennsylvania Crash
Information Tool (PCIT) website, www.dotcrashinfo.pa.gov, which uses
reportable
crash data from law enforcement to assist in reviewing this data. The new
feature allows the public to query and also map fatality and crash data.

The site also includes a search function that allows the public to retrieve

data based on specified criteria. Users can display data showing the number
of
crashes, people involved, or vehicles involved. It can be filtered by
Timeframe, County/Municipality, and by various crash characteristics.
Additional statistics available in the site are crash, fatality and major
injury statistics as well as the department's annual Crash Facts Books.

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