Too many pedestrians continue to die on U.S. roads, but there is some hope the fatal numbers may be reaching a plateau.
A report released Thursday by the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates pedestrian deaths increased by 1% in 2022 to just over 7,500, not including data from Oklahoma. Although that would be the most pedestrian deaths since 1981, the rate of increase is down substantially from 11.5% the previous year.
Overall, pedestrian deaths increased dramatically by 77% from 2010 through 2021 while deaths from motor vehicle crashes rose 25%.
“We’re hopeful this is an indication the increase is starting to plateau,” said Adam Snider, spokesman for the association. “We can’t continue to lose 20 people a day on our roads just because they decided to take a walk.”
One reason for optimism is that figures released in April showed overall traffic deaths for 2022 dropped 0.35% after sharp spikes two years in a row during the pandemic. Traffic safety experts say reduced driving during the pandemic led to drivers using more risky behavior such as speeding, impaired driving and distracted driving on the empty roads.
The increased deaths during the pandemic led the U.S. Department of Transportation last year to launch a five-pronged effort to reduce deaths using $14 billion in federal stimulus funds to teach people to be safer drivers, build safer roads, improve vehicle safety, drive at safer speeds and improve medical care for crash victims.
The numbers for pedestrian deaths for the full year follow preliminary numbers for the first six months that were released in February and showed a 5.5% increase over 2021. Although there were more deaths in the second half of the year – that’s typical in warmer weather – the overall increase for the year was 1%.
The estimated numbers show pedestrian deaths increased from 7,443 in 2021 to 7,508 in 2022. Both numbers don’t include Oklahoma, which has averaged 92 pedestrian deaths for the previous five years.
In Pennsylvania, deaths rose from 182 to 186.
An analysis of the federal statistics through 2021 shows speeding is an increasing factor in pedestrian deaths, rising from 7.27% of accidents in 2016 to 8.11% in 2021. The seriousness of injuries increases dramatically for each five miles of increased speed by a vehicle.
Darkness also remains a major factor in pedestrian accidents with 77.1% occurring after the sun sets, regardless of whether there are artificial lights in the area.
Among the other positive factors, Snider said, was that 26 states and the District of Columbia showed fewer deaths last year.
“The saddest part is that these crashes are preventable,” association CEO Jonathan Adkins said in a news release. “We know what works — better-designed infrastructure, lower speeds, addressing risky driving behaviors that pose a danger to people walking.
“We must do these things and more to reverse this awful trend and protect people on foot. Enough is enough.”
Ed covers transportation at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at eblazina@unionprogress.com.