For nearly a decade, the number of traffic deaths in the state’s capital has been close to the number of homicides. And statewide, traffic fatalities in the first quarter of 2024 were on pace to surpass gun deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
State and local government have invested money to respond to the uptick in roadway deaths. Some of the funding has gone toward law enforcement, while some of it has gone toward pilot programs that combine community feedback, collision safety data and expert opinions.
While experts attribute roadway deaths to several causes — infrastructure design, poor understanding of road laws and driving while intoxicated — another aspect is a system that allows drivers with checkered driving histories to get behind the wheel again. In some cases, they go on to kill…