Pennsylvania motorists may not know that there has been an increase in car accident deaths. Analysts compared car accident data from the first nine months of 2015 to car accident data from the first nine months of 2014 and found a 9.3 percent increase in traffic fatalities. The recent rise in traffic fatalities followed several years of slow but steady declines.

The traffic fatality statistics were contained in a report that was put out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report showed that there were 23,796 traffic fatalities during the first nine months of 2014 and over 26,000 traffic fatalities during the same time period in 2015. Between 2000 and 2014, the number of annual car accident deaths went down by approximately 22 percent.

The report has officials from the NHTSA concerned about the unsafe driving behaviors that lead to fatal car crashes. The federal agency has announced that it will be taking steps to prevent drunk driving and other dangerous behaviors that cause car accidents. A spokesperson for the NHTSA said that it was not planning to wait for a further increase in traffic fatalities before taking action.

NHTSA research has found that the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents are caused by human factors. When a car crash is caused by an impaired, speeding, distracted, or otherwise negligent driver, injured victims will often face lengthy and expensive medical care and treatment. In many cases, their financial situation is worsened by an inability to return to employment. A personal injury attorney might be of assistance in preparing and filing a lawsuit that seeks compensation from the at-fault driver.