(Photo: MGN)DOVER, Del.- Delaware highway safety officials are reporting that there were 116 traffic fatalities in the state in 2012, a 12 percent increase over 2011.
The Office of Highway Safety said the increase was driven by a spike in crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. There were 30 pedestrian fatalities in 2012 compared to 19 in 2011, and four bicyclists were killed last year after none died in 2011.
"The increase in highway fatalities over the last year is very concerning," said Delaware Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Lewis Schiliro.
Schiliro noted that given the 37 percent increase in pedestrian crashes, the state will place an added focus on pedestrian safety.
There were more than 4,900 DUI arrests in Delaware last year, which the OHS said is an increase of nearly 700. But DUI arrests are still down significantly from 2006-2009, when there were more than 6,000 per year.
As 2013 begins, the OHS said it will conduct its first DUI enforcement mobilization of the new year, centered around the NFL playoffs. This month, 22 state and local law enforcement agencies will be conducting DUI saturation patrols on Saturdays and Sundays during the NFL playoffs, culminating in Super Bowl Sunday enforcement activities.
