by Natalie Kapustik, The Center Square | April 22, 2021 11:00 AM Print this article Far fewer Pennsylvanians took to the state's highways during the pandemic in 2020 than the prior year – but fatal accidents increased from 2019, puzzling highway officials. In 2020, statewide traffic deaths increased to 1,129 from the record low of 1,059 in 2019, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced this week. Despite a 20% reduction in traffic counts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fatalities were up 6% in 2020. "We cannot definitively say why fatalities increased during the COVID-19 pandemic even though it certainly had an impact on traffic volumes statewide," PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. "Over the long term, traffic fatalities are still trending down, but we must continue to work together to make our roads safer for all drivers."