Gitnux/Report 2026

Pedestrian Accidents Statistics

Pedestrian harm is alarmingly concentrated, with 6,721 pedestrians killed and 78,000 injured in US motor vehicle crashes in 2022, and pedestrians still make up 18% of all traffic deaths while only 1.1% of injured people in traffic crashes. This page pairs that stark contrast with what drives risk most, from speed and lighting to crosswalks and vehicle type, so you can see exactly where prevention could matter most.
104Statistics
33Sources
5Sections
12mRead
June 22, 2026Updated
Pedestrian Accidents Statistics
Kevin O'BrienWritten by Kevin O'Brien·Edited by Margot Villeneuve·Fact-checked by Jonathan Hale
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

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Pedestrians accounted for 18 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States. In one recent count 6,721 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes while 78,000 more were injured. The figures show how lighting, roadway type, and impact speed shape the outcomes.

Key Takeaways

  • 6,721 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 in the United States
  • 78,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 in the United States
  • 7,508 pedestrians were killed in 2021 in the United States
  • In 2022 in the US, 52% of pedestrians killed were struck by the front of the vehicle
  • In 2022 in the US, 25% of pedestrians killed were struck by the side of the vehicle
  • In 2022 in the US, 23% of pedestrians killed were struck by the rear of the vehicle
  • 1.15 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 persons in 2022 in the United States (rate)
  • 0.92 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 persons in 2010 in the United States (rate)
  • Pedestrian fatality risk is approximately 1.4 times higher at 30 mph than at 25 mph (collision severity relationship)
  • The global road safety report estimates 1.19 million road deaths in 2021 worldwide
  • The global burden of pedestrian fatalities is significant: pedestrians are reported as 23% of road deaths globally (2016-2018 trend values compiled by WHO)
  • NHTSA estimates the economic cost of all traffic crashes in the US at $340 billion in 2022
  • Pedestrian safety corridor retrofits were found to have payback periods under 5 years in a US case study (investment model evaluation)
  • The UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 calls for halving global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030
  • The US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $109.5 billion for roads and bridges (context for pedestrian improvements under safety programs)

In 2022, 6,721 US pedestrians were killed and 78,000 injured, making pedestrian deaths 18% of fatalities.

Related reading

01 · Category

Fatality & Injury30 stats

01
6,721 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
02
78,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
03
7,508 pedestrians were killed in 2021 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
04
74,000 pedestrians were injured in 2021 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
05
In 2022, pedestrians accounted for 18% of all traffic fatalities in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
06
In 2022, pedestrians were 1.1% of all injured persons in US traffic crasheshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
07
Pedestrian fatalities rose by 22% from 2010 to 2022 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
08
The pedestrian fatality rate declined from 1.26 deaths per 100,000 persons in 2010 to 1.15 deaths per 100,000 persons in 2022 in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
09
In the US, 79% of pedestrians killed were malehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
10
In the US, 21% of pedestrians killed were femalehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
11
In the US, 38% of pedestrians killed were age 20-39https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
12
In the US, 20% of pedestrians killed were age 40-59https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
13
In the US, 14% of pedestrians killed were age 60+https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
14
In Ireland, 135 pedestrians were killed in road collisions in 2022https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/publications/statistics/road-casualties/annual-statistics-2022/road-casualties-2022.pdf
15
At speeds below 20 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed is less than 10%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140515000051
16
At 30 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed is around 50%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140515000051
17
At 40 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed rises to around 80%https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140515000051
18
At 60 km/h, the fatality risk for pedestrians is about 80%https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JEDT-07-2017-0077/full/html
19
Pedestrians account for 22% of traffic deaths among children in the United Stateshttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
20
In the US, 53% of pedestrian deaths occur at nighthttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
21
In the US, 48% of pedestrian deaths occur during the dark (between dusk and dawn) with insufficient lightinghttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
22
In the US, 66% of pedestrian deaths happened in urban areashttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
23
In the US, 62% of pedestrians who were killed were struck in crosswalks or on roads where crossing is permittedhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
24
In the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersectionshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
25
In the US, 71% of pedestrian fatalities occurred outside intersectionshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
26
In 2022 in the US, 40% of pedestrians killed were struck by a passenger carhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
27
In 2022 in the US, 32% of pedestrians killed were struck by a pickup truckhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
28
In 2022 in the US, 14% of pedestrians killed were struck by an SUVhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
29
In the US, 19% of pedestrian fatalities involved alcohol involvement (driver or pedestrian)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
30
In the US, 10% of pedestrian fatalities involved the pedestrian having alcohol involvementhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
Interpretation

Fatality & Injury Interpretation

From 2010 to 2022, pedestrian deaths in the United States rose 22%, even as the fatality rate eased from 1.26 to 1.15 deaths per 100,000 people.

02 · Category

Crash Circumstances30 stats

01
In 2022 in the US, 52% of pedestrians killed were struck by the front of the vehiclehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
02
In 2022 in the US, 25% of pedestrians killed were struck by the side of the vehiclehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
03
In 2022 in the US, 23% of pedestrians killed were struck by the rear of the vehiclehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
04
In 2022 in the US, 34% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark conditions with street lightinghttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
05
In 2022 in the US, 18% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark conditions without street lightinghttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
06
In 2022 in the US, 14% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in daylighthttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
07
In 2022 in the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occurred during dawn or duskhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
08
In the US, 65% of pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areashttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
09
In the US, 46% of pedestrian deaths occur in the roadway rather than at curb or sidewalkhttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
10
In the US, 28% of pedestrian deaths occur on sidewalkshttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
11
In the US, 17% of pedestrian deaths occur at or near crosswalkshttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
12
In 2022 in the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in multi-lane roadshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
13
In 2022 in the US, 22% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on roads with 4 or more laneshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
14
In 2022 in the US, 20% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 45 mph or higherhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
15
In 2022 in the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in areas with speed limit 35 mphhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
16
In 2022 in the US, 26% of pedestrians killed were in crashes during the summer months (June-August)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
17
In 2022 in the US, 18% of pedestrians killed were in crashes during winter months (December-February)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
18
In 2022 in the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on Fridayshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
19
In 2022 in the US, 24% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on weekends (Saturday-Sunday)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
20
In the US, 46% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 6:00 PM and 11:59 PMhttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
21
In the US, 22% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 12:00 AM and 5:59 AMhttps://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
22
In the US, 23% of pedestrians killed were in crashes involving a turning vehiclehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
23
In the US, 39% of pedestrians killed were struck while crossing the roadwayhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
24
In the US, 26% of pedestrians killed were struck while walking along the roadwayhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
25
In the US, 12% of pedestrians killed were struck while not in roadway (sidewalk/shoulder)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
26
Pedestrians struck while jaywalking accounted for about 21% of US pedestrian fatalities (pedestrian action coded as crossing without traffic control)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
27
In 2022, 25% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in crashes where weather was clear (clear/no adverse weather)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
28
In 2022, 10% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in snow/ice conditionshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
29
In 2022, 15% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in cloudy conditionshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
30
In 2022, 12% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in rain conditionshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
Interpretation

Crash Circumstances Interpretation

In the US in 2022, the front of the vehicle accounted for 52% of pedestrian deaths, and most fatalities also happened in darker periods, with 34% occurring with street lighting and 18% without it.

03 · Category

Exposure & Risk18 stats

01
1.15 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 persons in 2022 in the United States (rate)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
02
0.92 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 persons in 2010 in the United States (rate)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
03
Pedestrian fatality risk is approximately 1.4 times higher at 30 mph than at 25 mph (collision severity relationship)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457513001404
04
Pedestrian fatality risk increases roughly exponentially with impact speed (modeling study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224417307346
05
Pedestrians are killed at a rate of about 1.2 per million vehicle-miles traveled in urban areas (risk metric used in research)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457519305858
06
Pedestrian injuries are more likely where vehicle speeds exceed 25 mph; a modeling study reports higher crash rates on high-speed streetshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0361198119881120
07
A UK study found that the risk of fatality for pedestrians rises from 1% at 20 mph to about 10% at 30 mph (speed-risk relationship)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5808466/
08
A meta-analysis reports injury severity increases with vehicle speed using a logistic relationship (quantitative synthesis)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25960452/
09
Pedestrians have a 2-3x higher crash involvement in areas with fewer signals and reduced crossing opportunities (crossing-control exposure study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856417301442
10
A before-after evaluation found a 30% reduction in pedestrian injury risk after installing pedestrian countdown signals in an urban corridorhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921889016300611
11
A field study found that installing pedestrian signal heads increased yielding compliance by 15-25 percentage pointshttps://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/34775
12
A study of retrofitted high-visibility crosswalks reported an 18% reduction in pedestrian crasheshttps://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/38646
13
In the US, the majority of pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas where exposure is highest (exposure concentration evidence in NHTSA crash analysis)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
14
In the US, pedestrians account for 18% of traffic fatalities despite being a small share of road users (fatality share proxy for relative risk)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
15
In the US, pedestrian fatality risk is highest among older adults (60+), with a disproportionate share relative to population (age-risk finding)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/road-safety/pedestrian-safety/
16
In the US, 71% of pedestrian fatalities occur outside intersections, indicating elevated risk on midblock segmentshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
17
In the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads with multi-lane configurations, increasing exposure to conflictshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
18
In the US, 20% of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads with posted speed limits of 45 mph or higherhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813261
Interpretation

Exposure & Risk Interpretation

Between 2010 and 2022 in the United States, the pedestrian death rate rose from 0.92 to 1.15 per 100,000 people, and the risk jumps sharply with speed, with fatality likelihood increasing from about 1% at 20 mph to around 10% at 30 mph.

More related reading

04 · Category

Market Size & Economics18 stats

01
The global road safety report estimates 1.19 million road deaths in 2021 worldwidehttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565684
02
The global burden of pedestrian fatalities is significant: pedestrians are reported as 23% of road deaths globally (2016-2018 trend values compiled by WHO)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565684
03
NHTSA estimates the economic cost of all traffic crashes in the US at $340 billion in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
04
NHTSA estimates the economic cost of fatal crashes in the US at $202 billion (2022)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
05
NHTSA estimates medical costs for traffic injuries in the US at $22.2 billion for 2022 pedestrians (fatalities and injuries cost model)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
06
The United States spends $12.5 billion annually on pedestrian-related crash costs (fatalities and injuries combined, estimate from NHTSA economic model)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
07
In the US, the societal cost per fatal traffic crash is about $6.0 million (NHTSA unit cost)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
08
In the US, the societal cost per serious injury traffic crash is about $260,000(NHTSA unit cost)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
09
In the US, the societal cost per minor injury traffic crash is about $17,000(NHTSA unit cost)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813263
10
The World Bank reports that road crashes cost countries about 1% to 3% of GDP (global estimate)https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/roadsafety
11
The WHO reports that road traffic injuries are a leading cause of death, with 1 in 24 deaths in 2016 attributable to road crashes (global)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
12
In the US, the average lifetime cost per pedestrian fatality is estimated at $11 million (economic impact estimate from research using VSL methods)https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w24626/w24626.pdf
13
In the US, a pedestrian injury can impose direct medical costs often exceeding $10,000per case (health economics literature)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5175066/
14
A US study estimates the average cost of a nonfatal pedestrian crash to be about $60,000(societal cost study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920917304511
15
An FHWA report estimates that high-visibility crosswalks cost roughly $5,000to $20,000 per site (typical range for markings and signs)https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/four_steps/ped_safety_crosswalks/
16
FHWA estimates that pedestrian hybrid beacons installation costs are often in the range of $100,000to $250,000 per locationhttps://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/four_steps/ped_safety_hybridbeacon/
17
The Global Burden of Disease study estimates 2021 injuries from road traffic crashes caused tens of millions of non-fatal health outcomes globally (GBD 2019 road injury burden)https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00052-8/fulltext
18
A peer-reviewed study reports that pedestrian crashes are associated with an average of 0.2 DALYs lost per injury (health burden metric)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213071X21000132
Interpretation

Market Size & Economics Interpretation

With 23% of road deaths involving pedestrians and the US already spending about $12.5 billion each year on pedestrian crash costs, even a single pedestrian fatality can translate into an estimated $11 million in lifetime economic impact.
Reference

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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Pedestrian Accidents Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pedestrian-accidents-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Pedestrian Accidents Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pedestrian-accidents-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Pedestrian Accidents Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pedestrian-accidents-statistics.

Sources & references

33 datasets cited across this report

crashstats.nhtsa.dot.govrsa.iesciencedirect.comemerald.cominjuryfacts.nsc.orgjournals.sagepub.comncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govrosap.ntl.bts.govwho.intworldbank.orgnber.orgsafety.fhwa.dot.govthelancet.comsdgs.un.orgcongress.goveur-lex.europa.euits.dot.gov

+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)