RICHMOND, Va. -- Traffic deaths declined to a historic low in Virginia in 2008.
While the number could increase, Virginia State Police on Friday reported 808 highway deaths last year. That number includes 73 pedestrian deaths.
If that number holds up, it would be 200 fewer deaths than 2007 and the lowest number of fatalities in more than 40 years state police have tracked highway deaths.
The previous one-year low was 839, set in 1992.
Police credit several reasons for the 2008 decline. They include a sharp reduction in motorcycle deaths, the sour economy and state police public awareness programs.
The total number of highway deaths in 2008 is preliminary because of the possibility someone injured in a crash could die in 2009.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
