Pedestrian deaths fell modestly last year but are up dramatically over a decade ago, new data show.
State highway safety office statistics analyzed by the Governors Highway Safety Association put pedestrian deaths up 48% over the same period in 2014.
A sobering 3,304 people were killed while walking in the U.S. during the six months, the most recent period for which data is available. That was down about 3% year-over-year, but a decade earlier, 1,072 fewer pedestrian deaths were recorded, according to the data.
Pedestrian deaths are also still elevated compared to prepandemic levels, the association reported – up 12% from 2019.
“Every day, 18 people don’t return home after taking a walk. That’s unacceptable,” said GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins. “While recent incremental progress is welcome, it doesn’t disguise the fact that the numbers moved in the wrong direction over the past decade.
The increase in pedestrian deaths has outpaced population growth by nearly seven times, the association said.
It blames a steep decline in traffic enforcement since the pandemic that’s led to a surge in dangerous driving. Combined with bigger vehicles and roads designed for fast traffic movement, the phenomenon presents a dangerous scenario for pedestrians.
“Many communities lack infrastructure – such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting – that help protect pedestrians,” the association said in its report. “And the U.S. vehicle fleet is increasingly dominated by larger, heavier vehicles that are more likely to injure or kill people walking.”
The group calls for a return to tighter traffic enforcement zeroing in on risky driving behaviors, in addition to road infrastructure improvements.
