As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Delaware now has 139 traffic fatalities, reaching last year’s total of 139, the highest number since 2006.

“Thousands of Delawareans will take to the roads in the coming days and weeks to visit friends and family near and far and no matter your destination, we remind drivers to put their safety and that of those around them first,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski.

In 2021, there were 33 fatalities that occurred in November and December.

The number of fatalities on our roadways is tragic and heartbreaking. The Office of Highway Safety recently launched its “Safe Family Holiday” campaign to address the leading causes of holiday crashes in Delaware: driving under the influence, speeding, distracted driving, and pedestrian safety and encourages Delawareans to make responsible choices on our roadways,” said Kimberly Chesser, Director of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “During the holidays people tend to get wrapped up in celebrations and activities and relax their safe driving behaviors. Drivers are reminded of poor winter weather conditions, increased holiday traffic, and more pedestrian activity, meaning more dangerous conditions that require your full attention behind the wheel.”

Drugs and alcohol were contributing factors in 36 percent of fatal crashes last year and serves as a reminder to drive sober.

“We must all work together to prevent and eliminate crashes leading to serious injuries and deaths in our State. Safety is our number one priority. We strongly encourage everyone to slow down, avoid distractions behind the wheel and be on the lookout for people walking and biking. It is imperative we all take an active role to protect each other,” said Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Nathaniel McQueen, Jr.

More than 8,200 people were also seriously injured in crashes in 2021.

However you plan to travel this holiday season, please do so safely and don’t become a statistic.

An estimated 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years according to data released this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The 10.5% jump over 2020 numbers was the largest percentage increase since NHTSA began its fatality accounting in 1975.

The 139 fatalities on Delaware roads were the highest number since 2006, and included 30 pedestrians, 24 motorcyclists, and two bicyclists.
This year is seeing a continued escalation with 56 fatalities already occurring year to date in 2022, a 62% increase over the same time period last year. Should this trend continue, it will be the most fatalities on Delaware roads since 2004.

“Sadly, this national data is not surprising given what we are seeing happen on Delaware roads,” said Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “DelDOT is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in projects each year to make our roads safer, but there’s only so much we can from an engineering standpoint. We need everyone to do their part when it comes to safety.”

“Every person should reach their destinations and then return home safely each day,” said Governor John Carney. “The busy summer season is almost upon us and there will be even more people on the roads – driving, walking, biking – let’s all work to keep safety in mind to prevent more tragedies.”

DelDOT and its partners in highway safety are constantly working to combat traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Delaware roadways through multiple efforts, such as the 2021-2025 Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan, as one death on our roads is too many. This Plan, developed through multi-agency coordination, has nine emphasis areas and provides a framework to reduce fatalities and serious injuries resulting from crashes on Delaware’s roadways.