RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Governor Ralph Northam proclaimed April as Highway Safety Month on Tuesday.
The proclamation comes after a ten-year high of pedestrian fatalities in the Commonwealth to bring awareness of dangerous behaviors and help save lives. The total number of crash deaths in Virginia was down in 2018.
In 2018, 123 pedestrians were killed in crashes in Virginia, a nearly 62-percent increase over the number of deaths reported 10 years ago in 2008.
“I am encouraged that, overall, crash deaths are down in the Commonwealth, but we still have a lot of work to do, particularly when it comes to reducing pedestrian fatalities,” said Governor Northam. “Whether crossing the street or behind the wheel, each of us has a responsibility to engage in behavior that will make our roads safer for everyone. Highway Safety Month is a tremendous opportunity to bring a renewed focus to our efforts to save lives and move closer to our goal of achieving zero deaths on Virginia’s roadways.”
In Virginia, the average number of pedestrian fatalities over the past 10 years was 93 deaths per year, although half of the years in this time frame reported fatality numbers in the 70s. The decade-low number of pedestrian fatalities was 73 in 2009; the previous decade high was 121 in 2016. In 2017, 114 pedestrians were killed.
