Highway Fatalities in West Virginia Down 18 percent in 2014

Highway fatalities in West Virginia dropped from 332 in 2013 to 271 in 2014, according to a statement by the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Pat Reed. The decline shows the state is moving in the right direction toward its goal of zero fatalities, he said.

Reed said the 18 percent decline in highway fatalities could be attributed to recent safety laws and public awareness campaigns.

A law passed in 2012 banned texting while driving. Violating the ban became a primary offense in 2013, meaning police can stop drivers. The state’s seatbelt law became a primary offense in 2013.