PennDOT Driver License Center located at Point Plaza in Butler Township. Butler Eagle File Photo

Traffic-related deaths statewide have increased from 1,129 in 2020 to 1,230 in 2021, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The 9% increase results in the 2022 Strategic Highway Safety Plan pushing “towards zero deaths” in road related incidents.

The plan hopes to reduce accident frequency and fatalities with changes in infrastructure and and roadway design strategies.

“Safety on our roadways is a shared responsibility,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian in a news release. “Let’s work together to reduce traffic deaths, because even one fatality is one too many.”