Though fatal drunken driving, teen crashes and wrecks involving phone use were on the decline, data shows that fatal crashes involving seniors and pedestrians were on the rise.
Last year's number of fatal crashes was the third-lowest on record, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
State officials say 1,310 people were killed on the Commonwealth's roads in 2012 after a total of 124,062 crashes. Fatalities were up 24 from 2011, according to PennDOT. Drunken driving fatalities dropped from 391 to 377 -- the lowest number in more than a decade, according to PennDOT.
The lowest number of fatalities on record was in 2009, when 1,256 died on the state's roads.
"While highway fatalities increased last year, we're encouraged that historically, deaths on our roadways are trending downward. However, our highway safety mission will continue," PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said in a news release statement. "Each life lost on our highways is someone's relative or loved one, and we keep that in the forefront of our minds when we pursue engineering, education and enforcement tactics aimed at keeping our roads safe."
Fatalities in crashes involving 16- and 17-year-olds dropped to 44 -- that's 22 less than in 2011. PennDOT credits that drop in part to legislation signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in December 2011, which increased behind-the-wheel training for younger drivers, limited the number of passengers in a vehicle and upped the penalty on driving without a seat belt.
PennDOT says crashes involving cell phone usage also declined, from 1,152 in 2011 to 1,096 in 2012.
Those fatal crashes that increased in 2012 included ones involving seniors and those involving pedestrians. Seniors were involved in 276 crashes last year, compared to 244 in 2011. Pedestrians killed in crashes increased from 149 to 168 in 2012, PennDOT says.
The state has spent about $50 million over the last five years to improve road safety in Pennsylvania at 40,000 different locations, according to a news release. The department says they invest roughly $20 million every year for safety education and enforcement efforts.