The number of deaths in traffic accidents was higher in West Virginia and Ohio last year compared with the previous year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 431 people died in highway crashes in West Virginia in 2007, up from 410 in 2006.

Both Cabell and Wayne counties had increases in fatalities. In Cabell County, 21 people died in highway accidents last year, up from 15 in 2006. In Wayne County, the numbers were 10 in 2006 and 17 in 2007.

In Ohio, fatalities totaled 1,238 in 2006 and 1,257 in 2007. The number of traffic deaths declined in Kentucky, from 913 to 864.

What happened in West Virginia and Ohio went against the national trend, where the number of fatalities was at its lowest point since 1994. Last year, the number of highway fatalities declined by 1,649, or 3.9 percent. That was the largest reduction in both number and percentage since 1992, according to the NHTSA.

It's sad that traffic deaths in West Virginia and Ohio were on the rise while they were on a decline nationally. That indicates that people are driving in a less safe manner, and it indicates that law enforcement is not at the level it should be.

Really, how many people on Interstate 64 worry about being pulled over by the West Virginia State Police or another law enforcement agency for speeding? There's the mentality that drivers are allowed at least 9 mph over the posted speed limit, and many drivers ignore that in favor of even higher speeds.

It's the same on W.Va. 2 between Huntington and Point Pleasant, W.Va. Perhaps a few well-placed troopers on the lookout for speeding and unsafe driving would make a difference. It couldn't hurt.

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Meanwhile, ATV fatalities in West Virginia are down by about a third this year compared with last year, says a researcher who tracks those numbers.

Jim Helmkamp, director of the West Virginia University Injury Control Center, said the state had 18 ATV-related fatalities as of last week, compared with 27 last year. The state had 45 ATV fatalities last year, he said. Helmkamp told The Associated Press that a 2004 law might be influencing rider safety, but he added, "Many of the deaths are still occurring on paved roads."

The 2004 law allows ATVs to be operated on paved roads that do not have center lines. The problem is that ATV riders often ride too fast on those roads or else engage in other unsafe practices. That the number of ATV fatalities is on the decline is good. It means riders are taking heed of safety rules.

That is where the matter of ATV safety ultimately resides. Most ATV riding on public roads is done in areas where law enforcement road patrols are few or nonexistent. The Legislature can make laws, but it's up to the ATV riders themselves to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others.