DELAWARE - The Office of Highway Safety anticipates the state won't surpass last year's record-high in traffic-related deaths, yet officials caution against celebration.
In 2023, OHS documented 138 traffic-related fatalities, marking a 15% decline from 2022's toll of 163 deaths.
Jason Coleman of OHS conveyed the ongoing challenges, stating, "As we are seeing a decrease in the numbers, they are still high, and really the only acceptable number is zero."
Concerns linger among some Delawareans, acknowledging the persistently troubling statistics for a state of this size. "I feel like that is still a loss because a lot of people are still dying," remarked Kenneth Seward from Dover.
Coleman highlighted the drop in pedestrian fatalities this year to 28, down from 32 last year. However, a significant portion of these occurred within this month. "We have had unfortunately six lives lost since the beginning of December," Coleman pointed out, attributing this increase to reduced daylight hours and holiday travel.
Distracted driving emerges as a prominent concern. "A lot of it due to cellphones, to be honest with you," shared Kathy Cuvvage from Bowers. Seward echoed this sentiment, adding, "People always want to look at their phone or keep changing the radios or they'll be eating and drop something."
Despite these observations, Coleman stressed that no singular cause explains the deadly accidents or the slight decrease observed in 2023. He did mention recent laws signed by Governor Carney, introducing harsher penalties for reckless driving and mandating helmets for new motorcyclists.
The agency remains committed to hosting educational outreach events in the coming months.
