With a shocking 16 pedestrians killed on average every day across the country, the simple act of walking has become an increasingly deadly gamble.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, marking a 1.6% increase from 2021.
- Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 19% of all traffic deaths in the US in 2022.
- From 2018 to 2022, pedestrian deaths in the US increased by 33% overall.
- In 2022, approximately 104,000 pedestrians were injured in US traffic crashes.
- Pedestrian injuries increased by 30% from 2013 to 2022 in the US.
- In 2021, 60,000 pedestrians suffered serious injuries in US crashes.
- Adults aged 65 and older represented 21% of pedestrian fatalities but 29% of injuries in 2022.
- Children aged 5-14 accounted for 9% of pedestrian deaths in the US in 2021.
- Males were 71% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- 74% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022 occurred at night.
- 46% of pedestrian deaths happened at intersections in 2021.
- Urban roads saw 77% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Driver failure to yield caused 51% of pedestrian crashes in 2021.
- Speeding was involved in 29% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Alcohol impairment by drivers in 46% of nighttime pedestrian deaths.
Pedestrian fatalities are alarmingly high and have increased significantly in recent years.
Causes and Risk Factors
- Driver failure to yield caused 51% of pedestrian crashes in 2021.
- Speeding was involved in 29% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Alcohol impairment by drivers in 46% of nighttime pedestrian deaths.
- Distracted driving contributed to 8% of pedestrian crashes.
- SUVs and pickups were vehicles in 50% of pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Pedestrian alcohol involvement in 30% of fatalities.
- Lack of sidewalks present in 60% of suburban pedestrian crashes.
- Running or darting into roadway caused 20% of child pedestrian deaths.
- Hit-and-run in 13% of pedestrian fatalities.
- Dark clothing worn by 62% of killed pedestrians at night.
- Phone use by pedestrians in 27% of crashes per NHTSA.
- In California, speeding in 40% of fatalities.
- Globally, speeding causes 30% of pedestrian deaths.
- EU: Driver error in 85% of pedestrian collisions.
- Australia: Alcohol in 25% of pedestrian fatalities.
- Canada: Failure to yield 55%.
- UK: Disobeying signals by pedestrians 15%.
- Florida: Distracted drivers 12%.
- New York: Jaywalking in 25% incidents.
- Texas: Large vehicles 55%.
- Illinois: Night speed-related 35%.
- Pennsylvania: Pedestrian impairment 20%.
- Michigan: Hit-and-run 18%.
- Georgia: Driver DUI 15%.
- North Carolina: No sidewalk 65%.
- Ohio: Speeding vehicles 32%.
- Arizona: Pedestrian crossing midblock 40%.
- Washington: Distracted 10%.
Causes and Risk Factors Interpretation
These sobering stats paint a grim picture of mutual negligence, where drivers fail to yield and speed in lethal machines, pedestrians sometimes wander impaired and distracted, and our very streets seem designed for carnage, proving that the road to tragedy is a two-way street paved with bad choices and worse infrastructure.
Demographics
- Adults aged 65 and older represented 21% of pedestrian fatalities but 29% of injuries in 2022.
- Children aged 5-14 accounted for 9% of pedestrian deaths in the US in 2021.
- Males were 71% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Pedestrians aged 16-20 had a fatality rate of 2.3 per 100,000 population in 2021.
- Seniors over 70 comprised 24% of pedestrian deaths in urban areas.
- African Americans were overrepresented in pedestrian deaths at 27% while being 14% of population.
- In low-income areas, pedestrian fatality rates were 4.5 times higher.
- Hispanic pedestrians had a 60% higher fatality rate than non-Hispanics.
- Males aged 25-44 accounted for 28% of pedestrian fatalities.
- Females represented 29% of pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Children under 5 had 5% of pedestrian fatalities in urban settings.
- In California, 45% of pedestrian deaths were among 45+ age group.
- Globally, 52% of road traffic deaths are pedestrians in low-income countries.
- In Europe, 28% of pedestrian fatalities were over 65 in 2021.
- Australian Indigenous populations have 3x higher pedestrian death rates.
- In Canada, males were 68% of pedestrian fatalities.
- UK data shows 40% of pedestrian deaths aged 50+.
- In India, 40% of pedestrian deaths are children under 18.
- Brazilian males accounted for 75% of pedestrian fatalities.
- Illinois: 35% of pedestrian deaths were seniors over 65.
- Pennsylvania: Young adults 18-34 were 30% of fatalities.
- Michigan: Males 70% of pedestrian deaths.
- Georgia: 25% of deaths among 65+.
- North Carolina: Hispanics 15% of fatalities despite 10% population.
- Ohio: Children <15: 8% of pedestrian deaths.
- Arizona: 40% fatalities over 50 years old.
- Washington: Males 72% of pedestrian fatalities.
- Oregon: 28% deaths among 65+.
- Nevada: Young males 18-34: 32% of fatalities.
Demographics Interpretation
Taken together, these grim numbers paint a starkly unequal road, where your risk of death as a pedestrian is disproportionately loaded by your age, your gender, your ethnicity, and your zip code.
Fatalities
- In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, marking a 1.6% increase from 2021.
- Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 19% of all traffic deaths in the US in 2022.
- From 2018 to 2022, pedestrian deaths in the US increased by 33% overall.
- In 2021, California had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities at 1,236.
- Nighttime pedestrian fatalities made up 74% of all pedestrian deaths in the US in 2022.
- In 2020, 4,839 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes in the US.
- Pedestrian deaths rose by 77% in the US from 2010 to 2021.
- In 2022, Florida recorded 870 pedestrian fatalities.
- Nationwide, 16 pedestrians were killed daily on average in 2022.
- In urban areas, pedestrian fatalities reached 5,489 in 2022.
- Globally, 270,000 pedestrians died in road traffic crashes in 2019.
- In Europe, pedestrian deaths comprised 20% of road fatalities in 2021.
- New York State saw 418 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Texas reported 919 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- In 2021, 77% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban settings in the US.
- Australia recorded 147 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- In Canada, 512 pedestrians died in road crashes in 2021.
- UK pedestrian fatalities totaled 316 in 2022.
- India estimates 35,000 pedestrian deaths annually.
- Brazil had 6,847 pedestrian road deaths in 2021.
- In 2022, Illinois had 370 pedestrian fatalities.
- Pennsylvania reported 265 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Michigan saw 209 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Georgia had 365 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- North Carolina recorded 248 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Ohio had 266 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Arizona reported 338 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Washington state had 145 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
- Oregon recorded 96 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- Nevada saw 104 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Fatalities Interpretation
While the streets are often described as a concrete jungle, the sobering statistics prove the metaphor is tragically literal, with pedestrians increasingly paying the predatory price of inattention, poor infrastructure, and speed.
Injuries
- In 2022, approximately 104,000 pedestrians were injured in US traffic crashes.
- Pedestrian injuries increased by 30% from 2013 to 2022 in the US.
- In 2021, 60,000 pedestrians suffered serious injuries in US crashes.
- Children under 15 accounted for 12% of pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- In urban areas, pedestrian injury rates were 4.5 times higher than rural in 2022.
- Males comprised 71% of pedestrian injuries in US motor vehicle crashes in 2021.
- In 2020, over 75,000 pedestrians were hospitalized due to crashes.
- Head injuries occurred in 47% of serious pedestrian crashes.
- Lower extremity injuries made up 46% of pedestrian trauma cases.
- In California, 25,000 pedestrians were injured in 2022.
- Florida reported 18,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- New York had 14,000 pedestrian injuries in 2021.
- Texas saw 22,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Globally, 9 million pedestrians are injured annually in road crashes.
- In the EU, 25,000 pedestrians were seriously injured in 2021.
- Australia reported 1,200 serious pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Canada had 16,000 pedestrian injuries in 2021.
- UK recorded 18,800 pedestrian casualties (injured) in 2022.
- Illinois reported 9,500 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Pennsylvania had 7,200 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Michigan saw 5,800 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Georgia reported 10,200 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- North Carolina had 7,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Ohio recorded 7,500 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Arizona saw 9,400 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Washington state reported 4,100 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Oregon had 2,700 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
- Nevada recorded 2,900 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Injuries Interpretation
While our cities are busy crowning cars as kings, the sobering reality is that a rising tide of pedestrian injuries—from children to grandparents—serves as a grim reminder that we've designed a world where a simple walk can feel like a game of Frogger played with actual lives.
Location and Time
- 74% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022 occurred at night.
- 46% of pedestrian deaths happened at intersections in 2021.
- Urban roads saw 77% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
- October to December accounted for 33% of annual pedestrian deaths.
- Only 23% of pedestrian fatalities involved crosswalks in 2021.
- Dark conditions contributed to 69% of pedestrian deaths.
- Weekends saw 28% higher pedestrian crash rates.
- In California, 60% of fatalities in urban areas at night.
- Globally, 50% of pedestrian deaths occur on two-lane-two-way roads without dividers.
- EU: 60% pedestrian fatalities outside urban areas in rural roads.
- Australia: 45% deaths at night, 55% urban.
- Canada: 70% fatalities in urban settings.
- UK: 75% casualties in built-up areas.
- Florida: 80% fatalities in urban counties.
- New York: 90% deaths in NYC metro area.
- Texas: 65% at night, 70% non-intersection.
- Illinois: 50% between 6pm-12am.
- Pennsylvania: 40% at intersections.
- Michigan: 75% dark conditions.
- Georgia: 55% urban roadways.
- North Carolina: 35% Friday-Sunday.
- Ohio: 48% non-intersection locations.
- Arizona: 70% night time in Phoenix area.
- Washington: 80% urban fatalities.
- Oregon: 65% dark, non-daylight.
- Nevada: 85% in Las Vegas metro.
Location and Time Interpretation
The sobering takeaway from these numbers is that walking at night, especially on urban roads away from crosswalks, turns a simple stroll into the highest-stakes game of Frogger you never wanted to play.
Sources & References
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