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New Statistics Show an Increase in PA Highway Deaths Last Year

We saw an interesting story recently about car accidents in Pennsylvania, and it touched on what the statistics look like and why they may be the way they are. Being PA auto accident attorneys, Harrisburg and Camp Hill drivers are our main clients, and we’d love to see them avoid accidents that leave them and their loved ones severely injured. Some interesting stats we read, which were released by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, included:

  • There were 1,310 people killed on Pennsylvania highways last year. That is 24 more than the previous year. 
  • Senior driver deaths increased by 32. AAA thinks the increase in crashes could be due to Pennsylvania’s growing aging population. The PennDOT says the number of drivers 65 and older jumped from 1.6 million to 1.7 million between 2011 and 2012. 
  • Pedestrian deaths increased by 11. It is thought that this could be due to more people walking to save money on gas. 
  • Teen traffic deaths were down across the state, with fatalities dropping to 44. This could be due to last year being the first full year that the state’s new Junior Driving Law restrictions were in place. Those restrictions require younger drivers to get more hours of training behind the wheel before getting a driver’s license, among other things. There are also fewer young drivers on the road, overall. 
  • Distracted driver deaths dropped by two, but the PennDOT says fewer cell-phone related crashes occurred last year. 

Although there were overall more deaths on the road in Pennsylvania, it does seem like certain programs to prevent these accidents are working and making a difference. 

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Pennsylvania, you need an experienced auto accident lawyer. Harrisburg is home to the law office of Schmidt Kramer, so give us a call to schedule a free initial consultation at (717) 888-8888