More than 7,500 people were killed last year after being struck by vehicles while walking along or across U.S. roadways — the most pedestrian deaths in more than four decades, according to a new report.
This sobering trend was not surprising to experts who track the numbers. But they were dismayed by the consistent increase — up 77% since 2010.
“This is unacceptable. It’s really mind-boggling. It hard to wrap your head around, at least it’s hard for me to wrap my head, 20 deaths every single day,” said Adam Snider, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which reported state-by-state numbers this week.
“And then when you think about how many people each single death affects: family members, neighbors, friends, mentors, pastors, how many other people we touch in our daily lives,” Snider said. “To think of all those ripple effects, I’m sometimes at a loss for words, just witWhile pedestrian deaths have been rising sharply over the past dozen years, other traffic-related deaths also increased but at a lower 25%.
GHSA used data from state highway safety offices in 49 states and Washington, D.C., for its report. Oklahoma did not provide state data, but has averaged 92 deaths annually in recent years.
The projected 7,508 pedestrian deaths nationwide last year was up 1% from 2021.
h how unfortunate and awful the situation is.”
In 2021, about 77% of pedestrian fatalities happened after dark. Nighttime crash deaths have increased by 86% since 2010, compared to a 31% increase in daytime pedestrian deaths, according to the report.
Passenger cars accounted for most crashes, but deaths involving SUVs increased at a faster rate. These bigger and heavier vehicles, along with light trucks, can cause more harm to a pedestrian in a crash.
“Some of these larger vehicles, the driver’s sight lines are not nearly as good. It’s harder to see people close to the vehicle, so it can be harder to prevent a collision,” Snider said. “Larger and heavy vehicles are definitely one of the factors behind the awful surge in deaths.”
Upi