After seeing historically high numbers in roadway fatalities last year, the Office of Highway Safety reports a slight downtick in 2023.
As of December 20th, there were a total of 128 traffic fatalities this year - down from 156 this time last year.
This dip is a welcome sight after steadily increasing numbers the past few years.
There were 117 traffic fatalities in 2020 and 139 in 2021. By the end of 2022, there were 165 deaths. That matched the state's all-time high in 1988.
“So some of the biggest factors we see with these fatal crashes is driving under the influence, speeding, and distracted driving. And we’ve seen a lot of pedestrian fatalities in crashes,” said OHS’s Meghan Niddrie.
The number of pedestrians killed in crashes this year is 26- down from 31 at this time in 2022.
Delaware saw a slate of new laws addressing traffic fatalities this year. These include stricter speed enforcement, banning open containers, and a “Move Over” law that aims to protect pedestrians.
Niddrie says OHS turned to grassroots outreach in 2023 - and it’s shown promise.
Along with hosting a series of public forums, they partnered with local businesses and other agencies to offer safe driving information in a variety of ways.
Niddrie says they hope to continue that outreach in 2024, and fund projects focused specifically on bringing fatalities and injuries down.
