PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Pennsylvania, the other 49 states, and the Washington D.C. area have been graded by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in their 2023 Roadmap to Safety Report.
Each state is graded as either "green", "yellow" or "red" based on their progress toward enacting optimal traffic safety laws.
36 states, including Pennsylvania, were graded as "middle in the road" or "yellow."
This means improvement is needed because of gaps in recommended optimal traffic laws, according to the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
The purpose of the report was to detail "16 optimal traffic safety countermeasures and additional proven solutions to reduce crashes, injuries and deaths," the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said
In 2021 alone, traffic deaths spiked to a 16-year high, and early 2022 numbers reveal that fatalities will continue to climb.
The 2023 Roadmap to Safety Report also offered solutions for states to consider when their state lawmakers return for next session.
This include closing gaps in laws addressing drunk driving, distracted driving, teen driving, seat belt and child safety seat use, motorcycle helmet use, and new this year – automated speed enforcement.
The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said they also wanted to highlight priorities for safety improvements for federal vehicle standards and roadway infrastructure, including those enacted in 2021 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
A livestream press conference was held on Dec. 6 at 10:30 a.m., where The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, crash victims' loved ones, law enforcement, medical and insurance leaders presented the new report and called for action on state and federal solutions to reverse the upward fatality trend.
The link to the livestream can be found here.