Imagine a year where over 7,500 people—more than the entire population of some small towns—simply vanished while walking down American streets, a number that tragically represents the 7,522 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2022, setting the stage for a critical discussion on safety, statistics, and solutions.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, representing a 1.6% increase from 2021
- Pedestrian deaths accounted for 19% of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2021, totaling 7,388 deaths
- From 2017 to 2021, pedestrian fatalities in the US rose by 55%, reaching over 7,000 annually by 2021
- In the US, approximately 104,000 pedestrians were injured in crashes in 2021
- Pedestrian injuries increased by 15% from 2019 to 2020 despite fewer crashes overall
- In 2022, over 60,000 pedestrians suffered serious injuries in US traffic incidents
- Males aged 16-24 represent 25% of all pedestrian injury cases in the US
- Pedestrians aged 65 and older account for 20% of fatalities but only 12% of population
- Children under 15 comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities despite being 20% of population
- Drivers under 25 hit pedestrians 40% more often than older drivers
- 48% of fatally injured pedestrians had BAC >=0.01 in 2021 US crashes
- Distracted driving contributed to 16% of pedestrian fatalities in 2020
- High-speed roads (>40mph) have 80% pedestrian fatality rate vs 10% low-speed
- Dark clothing worn by 72% of nighttime pedestrian fatalities
- Roads without sidewalks saw 2.8x higher pedestrian crash rates
Pedestrian deaths are rising sharply despite ongoing safety efforts nationwide.
Behavioral Risk Factors
- Drivers under 25 hit pedestrians 40% more often than older drivers
- 48% of fatally injured pedestrians had BAC >=0.01 in 2021 US crashes
- Distracted driving contributed to 16% of pedestrian fatalities in 2020
- Speeding was a factor in 29% of pedestrian deaths during 2021
- 18% of drivers in pedestrian fatal crashes had prior DUI convictions
- Pedestrians using phones had 1.5x higher injury risk crossing streets
- Red-light running caused 22% of intersection pedestrian fatalities
- Nighttime alcohol impairment tripled pedestrian crash risk
- Failure to yield was cited in 53% of pedestrian crashes in urban areas
- Driver inattention led to 23% of pedestrian injuries in 2021
- Pedestrians jaywalking contributed to 33% of non-intersection fatalities
- Smartphone distraction increased 400% in pedestrian crashes since 2010
- Aggressive driving (tailgating/speeding) in 15% of fatal pedestrian hits
- 52% of nighttime pedestrian deaths involved impaired drivers or peds
- Texting while driving raised pedestrian strike risk by 23%
- Hit-and-run in 12% of pedestrian fatalities, higher in urban zones
- Drivers over 70 failed to yield 2x more often to pedestrians
- Earbuds use increased pedestrian crossing errors by 40%
- Impaired pedestrians (BAC>0.08) in 34% of fatal crashes 2021
- Running red lights caused 939 pedestrian deaths 2017-2021 average
- Drowsy driving factored in 7% of pedestrian crashes per NHTSA
- Pedestrians crossing midblock illegally in 60% non-intersection deaths
- Driver speeding over 30mph increased fatality risk 5x for peds
- Cell phone use by peds raised crash odds ratio to 1.25
- Weekend nights see 4x higher impaired pedestrian incidents
- 65% of pedestrian crashes at dusk/dawn due to visibility/behavior
- Failure to obey traffic signals by vehicles in 28% ped injuries
- Urban arterials have 3x higher driver error rates vs residential
- Intersections with no signals see 40% more crossing violations
Behavioral Risk Factors Interpretation
As a species, we are tragically proving that the war between pedestrians and drivers is largely fought from within, with our own phones, impatience, and impairments proving to be the most lethal weapons on the road.
Demographic Statistics
- Males aged 16-24 represent 25% of all pedestrian injury cases in the US
- Pedestrians aged 65 and older account for 20% of fatalities but only 12% of population
- Children under 15 comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities despite being 20% of population
- African American pedestrians have a 2.5 times higher fatality rate than whites per mile walked
- Males are 70% of pedestrian fatalities and 60% of injuries in the US
- Hispanic pedestrians experienced a 105% increase in fatalities from 2010-2021
- Teens aged 16-19 have pedestrian death rates 3 times higher than younger children
- In urban areas, low-income neighborhoods have 3x higher pedestrian death rates
- Women over 75 have the highest female pedestrian fatality rate at 3.5 per 100,000
- Native American pedestrians have fatality rates 3.5 times national average
- Pedestrian deaths among 0-4 year olds dropped 82% from 1975-2021 due to child safety laws
- In Florida, seniors 65+ are 25% of pedestrian fatalities
- Young adults 20-29 males have injury rates 2x females same age
- Asian Americans have lowest pedestrian fatality rate at 0.8 per 100,000
- Rural children under 16 have 2x higher pedestrian death risk than urban
- Pedestrian fatality rate for males peaks at 25-34 age group at 2.8 per 100,000
- Females comprise 40% of pedestrian injuries but 30% fatalities due to frailty
- In NYC, Black pedestrians are 3x more likely to be killed than whites
- Elderly males 75+ have fatality rate of 4.2 per 100,000 vs 2.1 females
- Immigrants in urban areas face 1.8x higher pedestrian injury risk
- Teens walking to school account for 30% of child pedestrian injuries
- Low-education adults have 2x pedestrian death rate of college grads
- In California, Latinos are 45% of pedestrian fatalities but 39% population
- Pedestrian fatalities peak for males aged 45-54 at 2.5 per 100k in 2021
- 55% of pedestrian deaths occur in the 10% poorest census tracts
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of a society where the simple act of walking is disproportionately perilous for the young, the old, the poor, and people of color, revealing a failure in infrastructure and equity as fatal as any oncoming car.
Fatalities Statistics
- In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, representing a 1.6% increase from 2021
- Pedestrian deaths accounted for 19% of all traffic fatalities in the US in 2021, totaling 7,388 deaths
- From 2017 to 2021, pedestrian fatalities in the US rose by 55%, reaching over 7,000 annually by 2021
- In 2020, 4,839 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes in the US, a 4.8% decrease from 2019 but still historically high
- Nighttime pedestrian fatalities made up 73% of total pedestrian deaths in the US in 2021
- In California, 1,236 pedestrians were killed between 2018 and 2022, averaging 247 per year
- US pedestrian fatalities increased by 77% from 5,376 in 2010 to 7,522 in 2022
- In 2021, Florida had the highest number of pedestrian deaths at 816
- Pedestrian fatalities in urban areas comprised 76% of all US pedestrian deaths in 2021
- From 1975 to 2021, pedestrian deaths per population in the US dropped 60% but rose recently
- In 2022, New York reported 120 pedestrian fatalities, down 20% from 2021 due to Vision Zero efforts
- Nationwide, 62% of pedestrian fatalities in 2020 involved drivers or pedestrians with BAC over 0.01
- Texas saw 1,000 pedestrian deaths in 2021, highest in the nation by state volume
- Pedestrian fatalities at non-intersections reached 54% of total US pedestrian deaths in 2021
- In 2019, 6,283 pedestrians died in the US, with a rate of 1.9 per 100,000 population
- Children aged 5-9 had a pedestrian fatality rate of 1.3 per 100,000 in 2021
- Elderly (65+) pedestrian deaths numbered 2,147 in 2021, 29% of total
- In 2022 Q4, pedestrian fatalities hit 2,123, highest quarterly since 1981
- Dark lighting conditions contributed to 69% of pedestrian fatalities in 2020
- Arizona's pedestrian fatality rate was 3.4 per 100,000 in 2021, among highest
- From 2018-2022, 28,843 pedestrians died in US crashes
- Weekend pedestrian deaths were 36% higher than weekdays in 2021
- In 2021, 1,145 pedestrian deaths occurred in intersection-related crashes
- Nevada had a pedestrian fatality rate of 3.2 per 100,000 in 2021
- Pedestrian fatalities rose 10.3% in urban areas from 2020 to 2021
- In 2020, Hispanic pedestrians had a fatality rate 1.5 times higher than non-Hispanics
- Total US pedestrian fatalities from 2017-2021 averaged 6,800 per year
- In Michigan, 170 pedestrians died in 2022, up from 150 in 2021
- 92% of pedestrian fatalities involved motor vehicles in 2021
- Globally, 274,000 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2019
Fatalities Statistics Interpretation
Despite a promising 60% long-term decline, the recent and sharp resurgence in pedestrian deaths, fueled by nighttime conditions, substance impairment, and perilous urban streets, suggests we've tragically misplaced the lesson that walking shouldn't be a high-stakes game of chance.
Infrastructure and Environmental Factors
- High-speed roads (>40mph) have 80% pedestrian fatality rate vs 10% low-speed
- Dark clothing worn by 72% of nighttime pedestrian fatalities
- Roads without sidewalks saw 2.8x higher pedestrian crash rates
- Intersections account for 36% of pedestrian fatalities but 70% injuries
- Multi-lane roads increase ped death risk by 4x per lane
- Poor lighting at crash sites in 75% nighttime ped deaths
- Crosswalks with flashing beacons reduce crashes 47%
- Rural roads have higher ped fatality rates due to higher speeds, 2.1 vs 1.6 urban per 100k
- Roundabouts reduce ped crashes 40% and injuries 75%
- Absence of bike lanes increases ped exposure risk 30%
- Heavy truck involvement in 12% ped fatalities, higher on arterials
- Rainy weather triples nighttime ped crash risk due to visibility
- Medians reduce ped crossing crashes 40% on multi-lane roads
- 65% of ped deaths occur on arterials with speeds >35mph
- Protected bike lanes cut adjacent ped injuries 28%
- No pedestrian head start signal increases intersection risk 20%
- Snow/ice conditions raise ped crash severity 15%
- Wide streets (>40ft) have 3x ped fatality rate vs narrow
- Traffic signal timing too short causes 25% ped signal violations
- Bus stop locations without refuge islands increase risk 50%
- Highway-rail grade crossings see 150 ped deaths yearly US
- Raised crosswalks reduce vehicle speeds 15mph, crashes 50%
- Areas with high walkability scores have 30% fewer ped crashes
- Cul-de-sacs have 80% lower ped crash rates than through streets
- Insufficient street lighting doubles nighttime ped risk
- Bicycle boulevards reduce ped exposure to fast traffic 60%
- Pedestrian scrambles (all-walk) cut crashes 40% in trials
Infrastructure and Environmental Factors Interpretation
While the grim statistics suggest pedestrians are engaged in a lethal game of Frogger against dark clothes, speeding cars, and poorly lit arterials, the data clearly illuminates a path to safety through smarter design like slower streets, proper lighting, and crossing aids that favor flesh over steel.
Injury Statistics
- In the US, approximately 104,000 pedestrians were injured in crashes in 2021
- Pedestrian injuries increased by 15% from 2019 to 2020 despite fewer crashes overall
- In 2022, over 60,000 pedestrians suffered serious injuries in US traffic incidents
- Non-fatal pedestrian injuries totaled 75,000 in 2020, with 29% involving alcohol
- Children under 15 accounted for 12% of pedestrian injuries in urban areas in 2021
- In California, 14,000 pedestrians were injured annually from 2018-2022
- Pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 22.5 in 2021
- 45% of pedestrian injuries occurred at night in 2020
- From 2016-2020, 400,000 pedestrians were injured in US crashes, averaging 80,000 yearly
- Serious pedestrian injuries rose 50% from 2010 to 2020
- In New York City, 26,000 pedestrian injuries reported in 2022
- Intersection-related pedestrian injuries comprised 48% of non-fatal cases in 2021
- Elderly pedestrians (65+) had 18,000 injuries in 2021
- Florida reported 18,500 pedestrian injuries in 2021
- Head injuries accounted for 52% of serious pedestrian injuries in 2020
- Pedestrian injuries in rural areas were 25% less likely to be fatal but higher severity
- From 2017-2021, pedestrian injuries increased 26%
- Males comprised 70% of pedestrian injury victims in 2021
- In Texas, 12,000 pedestrian injuries occurred in 2021
- Lower extremity injuries made up 40% of pedestrian non-fatal injuries
- Pediatric pedestrian injuries totaled 25,000 annually pre-pandemic
- In 2022, 55% of pedestrian injuries involved speeding vehicles
- Urban pedestrian injury rate was 35 per 100,000 vs 10 rural in 2021
- Alcohol-involved pedestrian injuries numbered 22,000 in 2020
- Michigan saw 5,200 pedestrian injuries in 2022
- Globally, 50 million pedestrians injured yearly in road crashes
Injury Statistics Interpretation
America is proving uniquely terrible at the simple task of not running people over, as evidenced by our soaring injury rates where fewer crashes somehow yield more victims, intersections and alcohol are accomplices, and the grim math suggests we're on a path to injuring a small city's worth of pedestrians every single year.
Trends and Interventions
- From 2009-2018, US pedestrian deaths rose 53% amid flat VMT
- Vision Zero cities like NYC reduced ped deaths 30% since 2014
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) prevents 50% ped crashes at night
- Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) signals reduce crashes 13-37%
- US ped fatality rate per 100k rose from 1.4 in 2010 to 2.3 in 2021
- Bike/ped master plans correlate with 20% crash reductions
- Post-COVID, ped deaths up 33% from 2019 to 2022 Q3
- Daylight saving time end increases ped deaths 186% first week
- Complete streets policies adopted in 1,000+ US localities, cut crashes 25%
- EU pedestrian deaths fell 50% 2001-2020 via safety directives
- High-visibility crosswalks reduce crashes 28%
- Speed cameras lower speeds 10mph, ped fatalities 40%
- School zone beacons/flashers cut child ped crashes 20%
- National pedestrian safety month campaigns reduce seasonal crashes 10%
- Autonomous vehicle tests show 90% ped detection improvement
- HAWK signals reduce crossing crashes 70% at midblocks
- Ped fatality trends reversed in cities with 20mph zones, down 40%
- Education programs like Walk This Way cut child injuries 15%
- Vehicle front-end redesigns (AEB) projected to save 360 lives yearly by 2026
- Safe Routes to School funded 4,000 projects, reduced crashes 30% near schools
- Ped deaths declined 13% in states with primary seatbelt laws (proxy safety)
- RRFBs (flashing beacons) effective 69% in stopping rates, crashes down 47%
Trends and Interventions Interpretation
While America’s roads became increasingly deadly for people walking over the past decade, we’ve also proven, city by city and crosswalk by crosswalk, that the right mix of smarter engineering, calmer traffic, and simple technology can save lives—if only we have the will to install it everywhere.
Sources & References
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