(WKBN) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Thursday that the number of people who lost their lives on Pennsylvania highways in 2024 is the second-lowest on record.
Last year, 1,127 people lost their lives on Pennsylvania highways, 82 fewer than in 2023.
A release from PennDOT states 2024 holds the second-lowest record of fatalities in the state since record-keeping began in 1928.
“While this decrease in fatalities is certainly good news, even one life lost is one too many,” said PennDOT secretary Mike Carroll. “PennDOT will continue to work with our partners to decrease traffic deaths through education and outreach, but we will only get to zero fatalities when everyone works together.”
The number of fatalities in impaired driver crashes dropped from 429 in 2023 to 342 last year. Fatalities in lane departure crashes also dropped between years, from 629 to 537.
While fatalities for most types of crashes were down in 2024, some types saw increases. Fatalities in intersection crashes increased to 321, up from 301 in 2023. Fatalities in crashes at intersections with a stop sign also increased from 98 in 2023 to 111 last year.
PennDOT is currently in the process of installing pedestrian countdown timers at nearly 800 signalized intersections across Pennsylvania, which they say is expected to decrease crashes by about 8%.
