Pennsylvania has plan to eliminate all car accident fatalities

One of the most common causes of death in the state of Pennsylvania is attributed to car crashes. In previous years, the commonwealth has issued a highway safety plan that it hoped would reduce the number of victims who die as a result of a car accident. Its most recent plan has the goal of eliminating traffic deaths completely over a 30-year span.

Over the past several years, the state has reported an average of 1,240 fatalities along its interstates. It has recorded approximately 3,235 serious injuries annually due to crashes. The state has worked with both public and private sector entities in an effort to come up with a plan that would eliminate both of these within 30 years. The plan focuses on several areas that it hopes will eventually be successful.

One of the first goals is the reduction of impaired driving incidences. It hopes to accomplish this by focusing on better detection methods, training medical providers in the use of substances, setting limits on approved amounts of some substances and expanded use of new testing techniques. The state also plans to ensure drivers use safety features and avoid the use of distractions that lead to crashes.

Officials also cited its plans to re-evaluate certain passing zone areas to improve safety and to remove obstructions that have caused fatal or serious injuries. These obstructions include trees and utility poles that have been hit in the past, while also installing safer barriers in areas that have seen a high rate of crashes due to lane departures. While all of these measures may prove useful in the future, there will continue to be serious crashes. Pennsylvania families who have suffered through the ordeal of a fatal or serious car accident are entitled to file a personal injury or wrongful death civil suit against the parties deemed responsible in order to obtain financial relief of their monetary losses.

Source: penndot.gov, “Strategic Highway Safety Plan“, Accessed on July 27, 2017