Last year the highest number of pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in nearly three decades.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Administration’s annual spotlight report, “Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2018 Preliminary Data,” projected that 6,227 pedestrians were killed on the roads in 2018. This estimate represents a four percent increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities during 2018.
The report examines a number of factors that may be influencing the rise in pedestrian deaths, including increased exposure; unfriendly infrastructure; unsafe driving behaviors; and increased presence of sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Additionally, comprehensive infrastructural, educational and enforcement approaches are discussed as promising strategies to reduce pedestrian and motor vehicle crashes.
