As America’s driving grows more aggressive and reckless, the number of pedestrians killed each year has reached a four-decade high, and is rising at twice the rate as surging overall traffic fatalities, according to data analysis in a new study by Jerry.
New York City ranks as the #1 deadliest city for pedestrians.
Although New York City ranked the highest for pedestrian deaths, the problem is happening all over the United States. Nationally in 2021, pedestrian fatalities rose 13% from the previous year, and pedestrians on foot are typically the victim of these fatalities. Nearly one in five traffic fatalities that year was a person on foot.
Cities remain a problem for pedestrians, due to limited walking space and overcrowded roads, four of every five pedestrian deaths occur in an urban area. Minorities are also more likely to die as pedestrians, black people accounted for 19% of pedestrian fatalities but only 13.6% of the population, whereas white people accounted for only 37% of pedestrian deaths but 76% of the population.
Pedestrians’ cautiousness is also important when walking near these roads. According to the study, from 2011-2020, only 26% of pedestrian fatalities occurred at an intersection, while 91% of pedestrians were on the roadway when they were struck. This statistic indicated that most victims were either crossing a road where there was no pedestrian crosswalk or walking along a road with no sidewalk when they were struck. Pedestrians that are under the influence tend to lack cautiousness causing nearly a third of pedestrians killed in 2020 had a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.08, and a quarter had a level of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit.
Last year, drivers killed more than 7,000 pedestrians. There are many potential factors behind the large rise in pedestrian deaths. The mental stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in aggressive driving. Also, American drivers’ passion for larger vehicles is also cited as playing a role. The larger the vehicle the heavier, therefore also deadlier to anyone they hit. Pedestrians are also responsible for this surge, alcohol consumption by pedestrians clearly plays a role in the lack of awareness while walking near busy roads. With the rise of distracted and dangerous driving, no one is more vulnerable than the people walking across or along our nation’s roads.
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