A fatal incident on Interstate 95 in Warwick last week ended an unusually long stretch of time without a highway death in Rhode Island — nearly three months — a period officials say had not occurred in over a decade.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the state had gone 11 consecutive weeks without a traffic-related fatality before last week’s incident, in which a 33-year-old man was killed after exiting a moving vehicle near Route 37.
While the Office of State Medical Examiners ruled the death a suicide, Peter Alviti Jr., RIDOT Director emphasized the human impact, stating that all roadway fatalities carry weight regardless of classification. “We don’t look at it as a statistic,” he said. “It’s a human life.”
Rhode Island has set a long-term goal of reaching zero roadway deaths, outlined in its strategic safety plans. While progress has been gradual, annual traffic deaths have generally declined since the early 2000s, when fatalities often exceeded 80 per year.
Since 2010, the state has typically recorded between 50 and 60 deaths annually.
In 2023, fatalities spiked to 71. That number dropped to 52 in 2024. As of this month, the state had reported seven highway deaths, down from 13 during the same period last year.
RIDOT attributes the recent improvement to collaborative efforts among public agencies, law enforcement and the public to promote safer driving behaviors and improve roadway safety.
Source: WPRI News, ProvidenceJournal.com
