In 2018, 18 people died on Butler County highways, according to new data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The figure is lower than the average for the county, according to the data set. The PennDOT released figures dating back to 1999 — within that time span, the average number of highway fatalities is 23.85. In 2017, the county suffered 17 fatalities, and 30 in 2016.

The data set breaks down the deaths by category of accident. The largest category, with eight deaths, is labeled “single vehicle run-off-the-road crashes.” Behind it are three categories with six deaths: motorcycle fatalities, “hit fixed-object crashes” and “hit tree crashes.”

The PennDOT logged one each of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities for Butler County.

Seven deaths are spread out between alcohol, drinking driver and impaired driver categories.

Statewide, fatalities involving drug or alcohol impaired drivers went up from 335 in 2017 to 355 in 2018.

Five of the crashes in Butler County involved a driver older than age 75.

Ashley Schoch, a media contact for the department that prepared the report, said her office hopes people realize how many accidents are related to driver-behavior.

Nationwide, 90 percent of crashes are caused by driver behavior, Schoch said.

“We're trying to get people to focus on their behavior as well, not just the data,” she said.

Statewide, fatalities rose from 1,137 in 2017 to 1,190 in 2018.

The 2017 figure was a record low for the state.

Neighboring county highway fatalities in 2018 are as follows: Allegheny, 68; Armstrong, 9; Beaver, 15; Clarion, 8; Lawrence, 17; Mercer, 12; Venango, 6; and Westmoreland, 35.