Iowa saw an increase in traffic-related deaths on the state’s roads in 2014 while Illinois saw a decline.
In 2013 there were 315 fatalities on Iowa roadways, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. As of Monday, December 29, a total of 319 people were killed on the roadways in 2014.
Illinois on the other hand is seeing on opposite trend.
In 2013 there were 991 deaths on Illinois roadways, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. So far in 2014 there have been 903 traffic deaths; nearly 100 fewer than the previous year.
Iowa began a campaign in June called Zero Fatalities, aiming to bring down the number of traffic deaths to zero. According to the campaign’s Facebook page, it is a collaborative effort of Iowa DOT, Public Safety, and Public Health.
“We understand it’s a lofty goal,” said Andrea Henry, Iowa DOT spokeswoman, according to the Des Moines Register. “If you think about it though, the goal for your family is to have zero fatalities when they’re on the road. We adopted that same goal for the State of Iowa.”
While the number of deaths on Iowa roadways in 2014 was up slightly from last year, there has been a decline from 2001, reported the Des Moines Register. In 2001 there were 446 deaths.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has an identical goal, “Driving zero fatalities to a reality.”
“The fatality rate on Illinois highways has declined by almost two-thirds since 1982 despite a steady growth in travel during that period,” according to the Illinois DOT website.
