While pedestrian deaths are dropping to pre-pandemic levels nationwide, Pennsylvania is bucking the trend, writes Anthony Hennen for the New York Post.

Drivers in the Keystone State killed 192 pedestrians last year. According to an analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Administration, that is eight more than in 2022 and 25 percent more than in 2019.

This puts Pennsylvania among 21 states and the District of Columbia that recorded an increase in pedestrian deaths.

To help bring down Pennsylvania’s pedestrian death toll and make roads safer, PennDOT has been working on federally mandated requirements to target high-risk areas.

Overall in the country, pedestrian deaths have increased by a stunning 77 percent since 2010, while other traffic-related deaths have risen by 22 percent. The number of deaths has continued to climb despite Americans cutting back on how much they walk.

“Research points to a drop in overall walking behavior since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” noted the GHSA report. “Between 2019 and 2022, annual average daily walking trips fell by 36 percent nationwide. The fact that pedestrian fatalities have been trending upward between 2019 and 2022 despite a drop in pedestrian exposure should raise alarm bells among traffic safety advocates.”

Read more about pedestrian deaths in the New York Post.