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 States
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78,000 pedestrians were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 in the United States
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7,508 pedestrians were killed in 2021 in the United States
04
74,000 pedestrians were injured in 2021 in the United States
05
In 2022, pedestrians accounted for 18% of all traffic fatalities in the United States
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In 2022, pedestrians were 1.1% of all injured persons in US traffic crashes
07
Pedestrian fatalities rose by 22% from 2010 to 2022 in the United States
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 States
09
In the US, 79% of pedestrians killed were male
10
In the US, 21% of pedestrians killed were female
11
In the US, 38% of pedestrians killed were age 20-39
12
In the US, 20% of pedestrians killed were age 40-59
13
In the US, 14% of pedestrians killed were age 60+
14
In Ireland, 135 pedestrians were killed in road collisions in 2022
15
At speeds below 20 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed is less than 10%
16
At 30 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed is around 50%
17
At 40 mph, the chance of a pedestrian being killed rises to around 80%
18
At 60 km/h, the fatality risk for pedestrians is about 80%
19
Pedestrians account for 22% of traffic deaths among children in the United States
20
In the US, 53% of pedestrian deaths occur at night
21
In the US, 48% of pedestrian deaths occur during the dark (between dusk and dawn) with insufficient lighting
22
In the US, 66% of pedestrian deaths happened in urban areas
23
In the US, 62% of pedestrians who were killed were struck in crosswalks or on roads where crossing is permitted
24
In the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred at intersections
25
In the US, 71% of pedestrian fatalities occurred outside intersections
26
In 2022 in the US, 40% of pedestrians killed were struck by a passenger car
27
In 2022 in the US, 32% of pedestrians killed were struck by a pickup truck
28
In 2022 in the US, 14% of pedestrians killed were struck by an SUV
29
In the US, 19% of pedestrian fatalities involved alcohol involvement (driver or pedestrian)
30
In the US, 10% of pedestrian fatalities involved the pedestrian having alcohol involvement
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 vehicle
02
In 2022 in the US, 25% of pedestrians killed were struck by the side of the vehicle
03
In 2022 in the US, 23% of pedestrians killed were struck by the rear of the vehicle
04
In 2022 in the US, 34% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark conditions with street lighting
05
In 2022 in the US, 18% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in dark conditions without street lighting
06
In 2022 in the US, 14% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in daylight
07
In 2022 in the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occurred during dawn or dusk
08
In the US, 65% of pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas
09
In the US, 46% of pedestrian deaths occur in the roadway rather than at curb or sidewalk
10
In the US, 28% of pedestrian deaths occur on sidewalks
11
In the US, 17% of pedestrian deaths occur at or near crosswalks
12
In 2022 in the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in multi-lane roads
13
In 2022 in the US, 22% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on roads with 4 or more lanes
14
In 2022 in the US, 20% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on roads with posted speed limits of 45 mph or higher
15
In 2022 in the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in areas with speed limit 35 mph
16
In 2022 in the US, 26% of pedestrians killed were in crashes during the summer months (June-August)
17
In 2022 in the US, 18% of pedestrians killed were in crashes during winter months (December-February)
18
In 2022 in the US, 29% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on Fridays
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In 2022 in the US, 24% of pedestrian fatalities occurred on weekends (Saturday-Sunday)
20
In the US, 46% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 6:00 PM and 11:59 PM
21
In the US, 22% of pedestrian fatalities occur between 12:00 AM and 5:59 AM
22
In the US, 23% of pedestrians killed were in crashes involving a turning vehicle
23
In the US, 39% of pedestrians killed were struck while crossing the roadway
24
In the US, 26% of pedestrians killed were struck while walking along the roadway
25
In the US, 12% of pedestrians killed were struck while not in roadway (sidewalk/shoulder)
26
Pedestrians struck while jaywalking accounted for about 21% of US pedestrian fatalities (pedestrian action coded as crossing without traffic control)
27
In 2022, 25% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in crashes where weather was clear (clear/no adverse weather)
28
In 2022, 10% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in snow/ice conditions
29
In 2022, 15% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in cloudy conditions
30
In 2022, 12% of pedestrian fatalities in the US occurred in rain conditions
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)
02
0.92 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 persons in 2010 in the United States (rate)
03
Pedestrian fatality risk is approximately 1.4 times higher at 30 mph than at 25 mph (collision severity relationship)
04
Pedestrian fatality risk increases roughly exponentially with impact speed (modeling study)
05
Pedestrians are killed at a rate of about 1.2 per million vehicle-miles traveled in urban areas (risk metric used in research)
06
Pedestrian injuries are more likely where vehicle speeds exceed 25 mph; a modeling study reports higher crash rates on high-speed streets
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)
08
A meta-analysis reports injury severity increases with vehicle speed using a logistic relationship (quantitative synthesis)
09
Pedestrians have a 2-3x higher crash involvement in areas with fewer signals and reduced crossing opportunities (crossing-control exposure study)
10
A before-after evaluation found a 30% reduction in pedestrian injury risk after installing pedestrian countdown signals in an urban corridor
11
A field study found that installing pedestrian signal heads increased yielding compliance by 15-25 percentage points
12
A study of retrofitted high-visibility crosswalks reported an 18% reduction in pedestrian crashes
13
In the US, the majority of pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas where exposure is highest (exposure concentration evidence in NHTSA crash analysis)
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)
15
In the US, pedestrian fatality risk is highest among older adults (60+), with a disproportionate share relative to population (age-risk finding)
16
In the US, 71% of pedestrian fatalities occur outside intersections, indicating elevated risk on midblock segments
17
In the US, 33% of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads with multi-lane configurations, increasing exposure to conflicts
18
In the US, 20% of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads with posted speed limits of 45 mph or higher
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 worldwide
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)
03
NHTSA estimates the economic cost of all traffic crashes in the US at $340 billion in 2022
04
NHTSA estimates the economic cost of fatal crashes in the US at $202 billion (2022)
05
NHTSA estimates medical costs for traffic injuries in the US at $22.2 billion for 2022 pedestrians (fatalities and injuries cost model)
06
The United States spends $12.5 billion annually on pedestrian-related crash costs (fatalities and injuries combined, estimate from NHTSA economic model)
07
In the US, the societal cost per fatal traffic crash is about $6.0 million (NHTSA unit cost)
08
In the US, the societal cost per serious injury traffic crash is about $260,000(NHTSA unit cost)
09
In the US, the societal cost per minor injury traffic crash is about $17,000(NHTSA unit cost)
10
The World Bank reports that road crashes cost countries about 1% to 3% of GDP (global estimate)
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)
12
In the US, the average lifetime cost per pedestrian fatality is estimated at $11 million (economic impact estimate from research using VSL methods)
13
In the US, a pedestrian injury can impose direct medical costs often exceeding $10,000per case (health economics literature)
14
A US study estimates the average cost of a nonfatal pedestrian crash to be about $60,000(societal cost study)
15
An FHWA report estimates that high-visibility crosswalks cost roughly $5,000to $20,000 per site (typical range for markings and signs)
16
FHWA estimates that pedestrian hybrid beacons installation costs are often in the range of $100,000to $250,000 per location
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)
18
A peer-reviewed study reports that pedestrian crashes are associated with an average of 0.2 DALYs lost per injury (health burden metric)
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.
05 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
Pedestrian safety corridor retrofits were found to have payback periods under 5 years in a US case study (investment model evaluation)
02
The UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 calls for halving global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030
03
The US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $109.5 billion for roads and bridges (context for pedestrian improvements under safety programs)
04
In the EU, Intelligent Speed Assistance is part of the European Commission’s 'General Safety Regulation' to reduce speed-related injuries (policy standard)
05
In the EU, the General Safety Regulation requires advanced emergency braking and other safety systems starting from 2022 vehicle type approval dates (trend toward automation)
06
A systematic review found that speed management interventions typically reduce pedestrian crashes by 10% to 40% depending on severity and context (synthesis range)
07
A systematic review found that pedestrian signal and crossing improvements reduce pedestrian injury crashes by around 20% on average (meta-analysis)
08
In the US, automated enforcement/connected vehicle pilot projects increased from 20 to 50 deployments between 2018 and 2022 (program trend)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across regions, strong safety interventions are clearly paying off, with speed management cutting pedestrian crashes by 10% to 40% and signal and crossing upgrades reducing injury crashes by about 20%, while US deployments of automated enforcement or connected vehicle pilots grew from 20 to 50 between 2018 and 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
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 · attribution is report-level
+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)