While national statistics show an increase in highway traffic fatalities in the first six months of this year, along with the years 2014 and 2015, Pennsylvania is not following that trend.

In fact, the number of traffic deaths in the commonwealth has declined over the past two years according to Sean Brown, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Safety Officer for District 5.Brown notes, "While we haven't released the statistics for the first half of this year, 2016, we have every reason to believe, and hope, we will continue to follow that downward trend."The safety officer credits the cooperative effort between the state and local law enforcement, especially the aggressive driving campaigns, as one of the main reasons for the decline."Our goal is to make our highways and roadways safer for the traveling public through education and enforcement. Our aggressive driving campaigns focus on cutting down on speeding, DUI impaired drivers and the use of seat belts and child safety seats. I hope those efforts are responsible, at least in part, for Pennsylvania's lower numbers," Brown said.In addition to the aggressive driving campaigns, PennDOT is also looking at other ways to make the roads safer through engineering efforts, such as improved signage and roadway markings.