Pa. highway deaths in 2008 fewest in 14 years

Highway deaths in Pennsylvania dropped to 1,468 last year, the fewest since 1994, when 1,440 traffic deaths were reported, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said today.

There were 141 fatalities related to aggressive driving, down from 192 in 2007, PennDot said in a news release. A crash is considered related to aggressive driving if at least two aggressive driving behaviors are demonstrated. PennDot said that since it launched its aggressive-driving enforcement program in 2006, aggressive-driving fatalities had declined approximately 35 percent.

Fatalities in crashes in which speed was a factor fell to 261, from 385 in 2007, PennDot said.

PennDot reported 64 fatalities involving 16- or 17-year-old drivers, compared with 101 in 2007. Fatalities involving drivers over 65 dropped to 259 from 268.

Although overall traffic deaths dropped, there were slight increases in fatalities involving alcohol, motorcycles, and failure to use seatbelts.       - Inquirer staff