Connecticut is having one of its deadliest years on the roadway, with traffic fatalities already surpassing last year’s number.
The 314 traffic deaths through Dec. 23 – the most recently available data – already surpassed the 308 deaths for all of 2023.
It also reverses the one-year improvement. Connecticut saw 293 deaths in 2021 and a record high of 367 in 2022, according to data gathered by the Connecticut Crash Data Repository.
“This is a horrible way to lose someone, especially this time of year,” said Amy Watkins, a program specialist with Watch for Me CT.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Watkins said 68 of those deaths have been pedestrians, again an increase from last year.
She said the problem has many sources, including impaired, reckless and distracted driving.
“While we’re not necessarily seeing a lot more crashes than ever before, what we’re seeing is more severe crashes,” she said.
Local
That’s prompting pleas from advocates and lawmakers for more safety, especially with New Years Eve on Tuesday.
“Plan accordingly to have a designated driver or use a rideshare service,” Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) said.
Hwang is also a ranking member of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
The committee’s co-chairs were not available for comment Monday, but Hwang said traffic safety will remain a priority when lawmakers return on Jan. 8.
This includes looking at stricter penalties, more enforcement and a crackdown on impaired driving.
Hwang expects lawmakers to once again consider legislation that would lower the blood-alcohol-content limit from 0.08 to 0.05 and ban open containers in vehicles, among other changes.
He also said lawmakers need to look for ways to test for drivers who are impaired by cannabis, especially since adult recreational use is legal in Connecticut.
Critics have noted the lack of a scientifically accepted test for cannabis impairment, but Hwang said the figures show the need to address the issue.
“That genie’s already out of the bottle, we now have to really contemplate things,” he said.
Watkins said lawmakers and CT Department of Transportation officials also need to make sure any infrastructure upgrades focus on pedestrian safety by forcing drivers to slow down.
