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
1Driver failure to yield caused 51% of pedestrian crashes in 2021.
Verified2Speeding was involved in 29% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Verified3Alcohol impairment by drivers in 46% of nighttime pedestrian deaths.
Verified4Distracted driving contributed to 8% of pedestrian crashes.
Directional5SUVs and pickups were vehicles in 50% of pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Single source6Pedestrian alcohol involvement in 30% of fatalities.
Verified7Lack of sidewalks present in 60% of suburban pedestrian crashes.
Verified8Running or darting into roadway caused 20% of child pedestrian deaths.
Verified9Hit-and-run in 13% of pedestrian fatalities.
Directional10Dark clothing worn by 62% of killed pedestrians at night.
Single source11Phone use by pedestrians in 27% of crashes per NHTSA.
Verified12In California, speeding in 40% of fatalities.
Verified13Globally, speeding causes 30% of pedestrian deaths.
Verified14EU: Driver error in 85% of pedestrian collisions.
Directional15Australia: Alcohol in 25% of pedestrian fatalities.
Single source16Canada: Failure to yield 55%.
Verified17UK: Disobeying signals by pedestrians 15%.
Verified18Florida: Distracted drivers 12%.
Verified19New York: Jaywalking in 25% incidents.
Directional20Texas: Large vehicles 55%.
Single source21Illinois: Night speed-related 35%.
Verified22Pennsylvania: Pedestrian impairment 20%.
Verified23Michigan: Hit-and-run 18%.
Verified24Georgia: Driver DUI 15%.
Directional25North Carolina: No sidewalk 65%.
Single source26Ohio: Speeding vehicles 32%.
Verified27Arizona: Pedestrian crossing midblock 40%.
Verified28Washington: Distracted 10%.
VerifiedCauses 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
1Adults aged 65 and older represented 21% of pedestrian fatalities but 29% of injuries in 2022.
Verified2Children aged 5-14 accounted for 9% of pedestrian deaths in the US in 2021.
Verified3Males were 71% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Verified4Pedestrians aged 16-20 had a fatality rate of 2.3 per 100,000 population in 2021.
Directional5Seniors over 70 comprised 24% of pedestrian deaths in urban areas.
Single source6African Americans were overrepresented in pedestrian deaths at 27% while being 14% of population.
Verified7In low-income areas, pedestrian fatality rates were 4.5 times higher.
Verified8Hispanic pedestrians had a 60% higher fatality rate than non-Hispanics.
Verified9Males aged 25-44 accounted for 28% of pedestrian fatalities.
Directional10Females represented 29% of pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Single source11Children under 5 had 5% of pedestrian fatalities in urban settings.
Verified12In California, 45% of pedestrian deaths were among 45+ age group.
Verified13Globally, 52% of road traffic deaths are pedestrians in low-income countries.
Verified14In Europe, 28% of pedestrian fatalities were over 65 in 2021.
Directional15Australian Indigenous populations have 3x higher pedestrian death rates.
Single source16In Canada, males were 68% of pedestrian fatalities.
Verified17UK data shows 40% of pedestrian deaths aged 50+.
Verified18In India, 40% of pedestrian deaths are children under 18.
Verified19Brazilian males accounted for 75% of pedestrian fatalities.
Directional20Illinois: 35% of pedestrian deaths were seniors over 65.
Single source21Pennsylvania: Young adults 18-34 were 30% of fatalities.
Verified22Michigan: Males 70% of pedestrian deaths.
Verified23Georgia: 25% of deaths among 65+.
Verified24North Carolina: Hispanics 15% of fatalities despite 10% population.
Directional25Ohio: Children <15: 8% of pedestrian deaths.
Single source26Arizona: 40% fatalities over 50 years old.
Verified27Washington: Males 72% of pedestrian fatalities.
Verified28Oregon: 28% deaths among 65+.
Verified29Nevada: Young males 18-34: 32% of fatalities.
DirectionalDemographics 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
1In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, marking a 1.6% increase from 2021.
Verified2Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 19% of all traffic deaths in the US in 2022.
Verified3From 2018 to 2022, pedestrian deaths in the US increased by 33% overall.
Verified4In 2021, California had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities at 1,236.
Directional5Nighttime pedestrian fatalities made up 74% of all pedestrian deaths in the US in 2022.
Single source6In 2020, 4,839 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes in the US.
Verified7Pedestrian deaths rose by 77% in the US from 2010 to 2021.
Verified8In 2022, Florida recorded 870 pedestrian fatalities.
Verified9Nationwide, 16 pedestrians were killed daily on average in 2022.
Directional10In urban areas, pedestrian fatalities reached 5,489 in 2022.
Single source11Globally, 270,000 pedestrians died in road traffic crashes in 2019.
Verified12In Europe, pedestrian deaths comprised 20% of road fatalities in 2021.
Verified13New York State saw 418 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Verified14Texas reported 919 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Directional15In 2021, 77% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban settings in the US.
Single source16Australia recorded 147 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Verified17In Canada, 512 pedestrians died in road crashes in 2021.
Verified18UK pedestrian fatalities totaled 316 in 2022.
Verified19India estimates 35,000 pedestrian deaths annually.
Directional20Brazil had 6,847 pedestrian road deaths in 2021.
Single source21In 2022, Illinois had 370 pedestrian fatalities.
Verified22Pennsylvania reported 265 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Verified23Michigan saw 209 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Verified24Georgia had 365 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Directional25North Carolina recorded 248 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Single source26Ohio had 266 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Verified27Arizona reported 338 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Verified28Washington state had 145 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Verified29Oregon recorded 96 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Directional30Nevada saw 104 pedestrian deaths in 2022.
Single sourceFatalities 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
1In 2022, approximately 104,000 pedestrians were injured in US traffic crashes.
Verified2Pedestrian injuries increased by 30% from 2013 to 2022 in the US.
Verified3In 2021, 60,000 pedestrians suffered serious injuries in US crashes.
Verified4Children under 15 accounted for 12% of pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Directional5In urban areas, pedestrian injury rates were 4.5 times higher than rural in 2022.
Single source6Males comprised 71% of pedestrian injuries in US motor vehicle crashes in 2021.
Verified7In 2020, over 75,000 pedestrians were hospitalized due to crashes.
Verified8Head injuries occurred in 47% of serious pedestrian crashes.
Verified9Lower extremity injuries made up 46% of pedestrian trauma cases.
Directional10In California, 25,000 pedestrians were injured in 2022.
Single source11Florida reported 18,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified12New York had 14,000 pedestrian injuries in 2021.
Verified13Texas saw 22,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified14Globally, 9 million pedestrians are injured annually in road crashes.
Directional15In the EU, 25,000 pedestrians were seriously injured in 2021.
Single source16Australia reported 1,200 serious pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified17Canada had 16,000 pedestrian injuries in 2021.
Verified18UK recorded 18,800 pedestrian casualties (injured) in 2022.
Verified19Illinois reported 9,500 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Directional20Pennsylvania had 7,200 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Single source21Michigan saw 5,800 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified22Georgia reported 10,200 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified23North Carolina had 7,000 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified24Ohio recorded 7,500 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Directional25Arizona saw 9,400 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Single source26Washington state reported 4,100 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified27Oregon had 2,700 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
Verified28Nevada recorded 2,900 pedestrian injuries in 2022.
VerifiedInjuries 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
174% of pedestrian fatalities in 2022 occurred at night.
Verified246% of pedestrian deaths happened at intersections in 2021.
Verified3Urban roads saw 77% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
Verified4October to December accounted for 33% of annual pedestrian deaths.
Directional5Only 23% of pedestrian fatalities involved crosswalks in 2021.
Single source6Dark conditions contributed to 69% of pedestrian deaths.
Verified7Weekends saw 28% higher pedestrian crash rates.
Verified8In California, 60% of fatalities in urban areas at night.
Verified9Globally, 50% of pedestrian deaths occur on two-lane-two-way roads without dividers.
Directional10EU: 60% pedestrian fatalities outside urban areas in rural roads.
Single source11Australia: 45% deaths at night, 55% urban.
Verified12Canada: 70% fatalities in urban settings.
Verified13UK: 75% casualties in built-up areas.
Verified14Florida: 80% fatalities in urban counties.
Directional15New York: 90% deaths in NYC metro area.
Single source16Texas: 65% at night, 70% non-intersection.
Verified17Illinois: 50% between 6pm-12am.
Verified18Pennsylvania: 40% at intersections.
Verified19Michigan: 75% dark conditions.
Directional20Georgia: 55% urban roadways.
Single source21North Carolina: 35% Friday-Sunday.
Verified22Ohio: 48% non-intersection locations.
Verified23Arizona: 70% night time in Phoenix area.
Verified24Washington: 80% urban fatalities.
Directional25Oregon: 65% dark, non-daylight.
Single source26Nevada: 85% in Las Vegas metro.
VerifiedLocation 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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- Reference 25SMARTCITIESDIVEsmartcitiesdive.comVisit source