DELAWARE STATE SENATE

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 94

ENDORSING THE DELAWARE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN OBJECTIVE OF REDUCING FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES ON DELAWARE'S ROADWAYS.

WHEREAS, traffic deaths have remained roughly constant in Delaware over the last 20 years, averaging over 120 fatalities each year; and

WHEREAS, according to a Delaware State Police report, in 2020, a reportable crash occurred in Delaware every 22 minutes, and one person was injured every 73 minutes in traffic crashes; and

WHEREAS, motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death of teenagers nationally; and

WHEREAS, the number of fatal crashes in Delaware is highest among 25-34 year old drivers; and

WHEREAS, a quarter of all traffic deaths in Delaware, based on 2015 to 2019 crash data, are pedestrians, and the risk of dying while walking is greatest among the poorest and most vulnerable Delawareans; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, Delaware’s vehicle death rate was 13.58 for every 100,000 people, higher than the national average of 11.90; and

WHEREAS, per capita fatal motor vehicle crashes are significantly lower in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey compared to Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the goal of the 2021-2025 Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan is to reduce the total number of traffic deaths by at least 50% by 2035; and

WHEREAS, the State is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in safety improvements, initiatives, and projects each year in pursuit of the “Towards Zero Deaths” vision.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 151st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the Delaware Department of Transportation, Delaware State Police, and the Office of Highway Safety shall make every effort to reduce the five-year rolling average of traffic deaths in Delaware to less than 100 by 2025;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, th at in the event that the number of traffic deaths in 2025, do not meet the above goals, Department of Transportation, Delaware State Police, and Office of Highway Safety shall reprogram funds to more quickly advance engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency service projects whose primary purpose is to reduce traffic deaths and serious injury type crashes.

SYNOPSIS

This Senate Concurrent Resolution endorses the Delaware Strategic Highway Safety Plan's overall objective of reducing fatalities and serious injuries by 15 percent between 2021 and 2025 to ultimately reach a goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on Delaware’s roadways and directs the Department of Transportation, Delaware State Police and Office of Highway Safety to adjust their programs if necessary to meet that goal.

Author: Senator Lockman