Associated Press Published

State Police: Traffic Fatalities Decline in 2015

Highway, Traffic

The West Virginia State Police say traffic fatalities in the state continued to decline in 2015.

State Police tell WVVA-TV that roadway deaths are down from 337 killed in 2012 to 270 in 2015. Troopers with the Governor’s Highway Safety Program attribute the decline to an increase in targeted patrols across the state.

Trooper J.R. Tupper, a drug recognition expert who is part of the safety program, says he believes drivers are increasingly paying more attention to the road.

Lt. Michael Baylous says the State Police rely heavily on grants from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program in order to address highway concerns across the state.