By Craig Anderson

Delaware has seen more than double the number of traffic deaths so far in 2022 than at this time last year, and state agencies are grappling with how to slow the surge.

On Wednesday, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety reported that 29 people — including drivers of vehicles, motorcycles and bikes, as well as passengers and pedestrians — have died on the roads so far this year, compared to 14 in early March 2021.

In a particularly deadly stretch Feb. 23-26, fatal crashes occurred in Harrington, New Castle (twice), Smyrna and Rehoboth Beach.

Delaware State Police spokeswoman Master Cpl. Heather Pepper said troopers partnered with OHS in February to provide additional distracted-driving patrols, along with DUI enforcement.

Additionally, she said that in March, “the Delaware State Police will be conducting additional speed enforcement throughout the state and increasing DUI patrols during the week of St. Patrick’s Day.”

DSP has also been working with school resource officers statewide by using their buildings’ electronic message boards to remind students and nearby residents to buckle up, slow down and disregard phones when driving, Cpl. Pepper said.

OHS spokesman Jason Coleman said his agency “is also partnering with Maryland and Virginia to conduct border-to-border patrols and DUI checkpoints along the U.S. 13 corridor for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday. In addition, we are doing outreach and education to the public by aligning our social media, paid media and outreach efforts with the ongoing enforcement.”

Read more: 'Every lost life is a tragedy': Fatalities up on Delaware's dangerous roads

Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman C.R. McLeod said DelDOT “continues to use our electronic message boards on our roadways to convey safety messages, and we have National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week coming up in April, where we will be doing several events focused on safe driving in construction zones and on all of our roads.”

An unofficial breakdown of fatal crashes, with some numbers subject to change based on investigative findings, showed that:

• Seven deaths to this point last year were alcohol/drug-related, compared to none this year.
• In 2022, 20 vehicle occupants have died, while 11 had been killed at this point in 2021.
• One motorcyclist died in both 2021 and 2022 by this time. Seven pedestrians have been killed this year, compared to two last year. One bicyclist has died this year, while none had died at this point last year.
• Seat belts were worn by nine fatal victims this year, compared to three last year.
• Seat belts were not used by eight occupants both years.
• There were cases of unknown seat belt use last year, and three are uncertain in 2022.
• There have been 11 fatal crashes in New Castle County this year, nine in Sussex and five in Kent, some with multiple victims.

As far as nationally, a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study “found that while most drivers reduced their driving during the pandemic, a small proportion actually increased their driving. Making matters worse, those who increased their driving appeared to be riskier than average, even after accounting for their age, gender, and how much they drove,” according to a news release.

Dr. David Yang, executive director of the foundation, said, “Our research finds that higher-risk motorists accounted for a greater share of drivers during the pandemic than before it. Safety-minded individuals drove less, while many who increased their driving tended to engage in riskier behaviors behind the wheel.”

According to the research, while only a small percentage of drivers (4%) increased their driving due to the pandemic, they were younger and disproportionately male — a statistically riskier driver group than the average population.

In addition, those who increased their driving during the pandemic were more likely to report engaging in risky driving behaviors in the previous 30 days, including speeding 10 mph-plus on a residential street, reading a text, red light running on purpose, changing lanes aggressively, not wearing a seat belt, alcohol-impaired driving and driving after cannabis use, AAA reported.

AAA said the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions have significantly affected travel behavior and traffic safety in the United States.

According to the foundation’s newest American Driving Survey, during the early months of the pandemic, the average daily number of driving trips made by U.S. adults decreased by an estimated 42% in April 2020, rebounded slightly and then leveled off in the second half of 2020 at 2.2 daily trips, roughly 20% below the 2.7 daily trips in the second half of 2019.

In the news release, AAA said that when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its 2020 traffic fatality data, it found an estimated 38,680 people died in vehicle crashes — the largest number of fatalities since 2007. This represents an increase of about 7.2% compared to the 36,096 deaths reported in 2019.

And the surge in fatalities continues, with NHTSA’s new data for traffic fatalities for the first nine months of 2021, finding that an estimated 31,720 people died in crashes from January-September 2021, an increase of approximately 12% compared to the first nine months of 2020.

The increase in traffic fatalities is not a worldwide occurrence. Road deaths have been reported to be lower in almost all other high-income countries since 2019.

“Despite safer roads, safer vehicles and stronger traffic safety laws on the books, the U.S. has witnessed more, not less death on our roadways even at a time when other nations saw dramatic drops,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research.

DSP provided safety reminders for motorists and pedestrians, including:

• Do not walk or drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Impaired walking is like impaired driving; it is illegal and can be deadly.
• Carry a flashlight or other reflective item when walking at night. It’s the law.
•  Do not step into a crosswalk if it will create a hazard to motorists. When it is clear to cross, continue to watch for traffic until you have safely reached the other side.
• Be sure to evaluate the distance and speed of oncoming traffic before you step out into the street to ensure that a vehicle has adequate distance to stop safely.
• Use sidewalks. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far off the edge of the road as possible.
• Do not risk crossing outside of a crosswalk or intersection because it’s more convenient, especially on high-speed roads.
• Cross only at crosswalks or intersections with signals or traffic signs. Look left, right and left again. Only cross when it’s clear.
• Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets.
• If your vehicle breaks down on an interstate or busy road, don’t leave it. Instead, call #77 or 911 for assistance. Motorists can also call #77 to report a disabled car.
• If you are driving, be on the lookout for pedestrians.