Fewest fatalities on Washington roads since 1955

OLYMPIA — The Washington Traffic Safety Commission says there were 490 highway fatalities in 2009 in Washington. That’s 31 fewer than the year before and the fewest in 54 years. In a report Wednesday the commission notes deaths dropped even as road travel increased five-fold since 1955 when 461 people lost their lives. Commission Director Lowell Porter says the decline is the result of a combination of public safety education, improved roadway engineering, emergency medical services and strong enforcement of traffic laws.