Over a 10-year period, the number of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes on America’s roadways increased by a staggering 55 percent, according to a new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The deaths, from 2009-2018, came after three decades of declines.
In Rhode Island, there were 122 pedestrians killed during that ten-year period, as well as 725 in Massachusetts and 439 in Connecticut. California, with just under 7,500, accounted for the most of the 51,000 deaths. “These numbers each represent a life lost,” said Lloyd Albert, AAA Northeast Senior Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. “We should all be working overtime to help protect our vulnerable road users.”
Recently, AAA Northeast recognized the safety record in the town of Barrington, where through the end of 2019, no pedestrian fatalities have taken place in 60 years. “This safety record could not have been realized without the department’s vigilance in enforcement, engineering, and a holistic approach to education. For example, the Barrington public schools make traffic safety education a priority from grades K-12,” said Mr. Albert.
The AAA Foundation report found:
- A total of 6,374 pedestrians were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2018, representing a 55% increase from 4,109 a decade earlier and the highest number since 1990.
- Pedestrian fatalities among people ages 60-69 more than doubled over the past decade, from 436 in 2009 to 943 in 2018. Deaths of pedestrians in their fifties, sixties, and seventies all increased faster than the national average for pedestrians of all ages. The number of children and teens killed as pedestrians decreased slightly—the only groups for whom pedestrian fatalities decreased.
- Three of every four pedestrians killed on U.S. roads in 2018 were struck in darkness. Fatalities in darkness accounted for the vast majority of the increase in pedestrian fatalities over the past decade. The number of pedestrians killed in darkness in 2018 was larger than the total number of pedestrians killed in any and all lighting conditions in 2009, 2010, or 2011.
- 84% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2018, and 84% of the overall increase in pedestrian fatalities over the study period, occurred on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or higher.
- Pedestrians killed at non-intersection locations without crosswalks rose 70% over the decade.
- 32% of all pedestrians who died had a blood alcohol concentration equal to or greater than the legal limit for driving. However, sober pedestrians’ fatalities increased by a larger amount over the study period, both in raw numbers and on a percentage basis. The number of sober pedestrians killed in 2018 was nearly as large as the total number of pedestrians killed in 2009.
AAA urges state and local transportation planning authorities to prioritize pedestrian safety and address this rising problem. AAA recommends that:
- Sidewalks should be installed in areas that are frequently traveled by pedestrians, with an increased focus on older pedestrian safety.
- There be more emphasis on traffic education in schools at all levels, including school safety patrols, adult crossing guards, police and traffic control signs, signals, and markings.
- State and local governments are encouraged to develop traffic safety public information programs aimed at citizens of all ages stressing use of retroreflective materials and visibility.
You can find the complete AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research brief here.