Pedestrian Fatalities Remain High in 2014
When all the data is in, the number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roadways last year is expected to remain relatively on par with 2013 and approximately 15 percent higher than it was in 2009.
Using preliminary data provided by the 50 State Highway Safety Offices and the District of Columbia, Dr. Allan Williams, former chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, compared the number of pedestrian fatalities from the first six months of 2013 and 2014.
Although the preliminary data indicate a slight (2.8 percent) decrease, after factoring in expected undercounting, Williams estimates that 2,125 pedestrians were killed in the first half of 2014, essentially unchanged when compared with the 2,141 pedestrian fatalities during the same period in 2013.
Noted Jonathan Adkins, GHSA Executive Director. “While we’re encouraged that pedestrian fatalities haven’t increased over the past two years, progress has been slow. Protecting pedestrians is a priority for GHSA and our members; we’re determined to drive the number down to zero.”
Dr. Williams pointed out that states with the most fatalities are primarily large-population states with large urban centers. Four states – California, Florida, Texas, and New York – accounted for 43 percent of all pedestrians deaths in 2013. Delaware and Florida had the highest rates of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents, at 2.70 and 2.56, respectively.
In the District of Columbia, pedestrians account for the highest percentage of all motor vehicle deaths (45 percent), followed by New York (28 percent), Nevada (25 percent), and Delaware (25 percent).
Category: Featured, General Update
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