By CHRISTINA LENGYEL

The Center Square

HARRISBURG — Last year was the second lowest year on record for traffic fatalities in the state of Pennsylvania. Highway deaths were just 1,127 in 2024, a decrease of 82 from 2023. Among them, 342 involved impaired drivers, a drop from 2023’s 429.

“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 agency puts $32.4 million in federal grants toward promoting safe driving behavior. This includes obeying traffic laws, using seat belts, refraining from aggressive driving and driving under the influence, and — critically — avoiding distracted driving.

Ridesharing apps have made it easier than ever to avoid drunk driving, even in rural areas where taxis and public transit have always been scarce.

Last month, Mothers Against Drunk Driving partnered with Uber to combat DUI crashes for Alcohol Awareness Month.

Cell phone use, on the other hand, has made distracted driving a bigger problem than ever before.

The state is coming down from a post-pandemic spike in deaths resulting from distracted driving.

Last year, “Paul Miller’s Law” banned the use of hand-held devices while driving in the commonwealth.

The law was inspired by Paul Miller, who was killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer in 2010 after a driver reached for their cell phone. His mother went on to advocate for distracted driving laws with tough enforcement.

She said her son “did everything right” and still lost his life to someone else’s driving choices.

Among lives lost in 2024, intersection fatalities were up 321 from 301.

Those occurring at stop signs were up to 111 from 98. PennDOT says they’re installing pedestrian timers in about 800 locations, which they estimate will reduce crashes by 8%.

According to PennDOT, driver behavior is the biggest cause of crashes throughout the state, leading to 83% of incidents. PennDOT is among a growing number who emphasize that the appropriate term is “crash, not accident.” The movement seeks to make people understand that most crashes are avoidable and hold drivers accountable for the behaviors that lead to them while holding public officials accountable for dangerous road conditions.

To that end, PennDOT also invests significant funding toward road safety improvements each year. Last year, $591 million in federal Highway Safety funds went toward 392 projects across the commonwealth with an additional $50 million in state funds toward lowcost improvements. These include updates like rumble strips, signage, pavement markings, and high-texture treatments.