Why Pedestrian Deaths Are At A 30-Year High

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25. Contributing factors:

From https://www.ghsa.org/resources/news-releases/pedestrians19

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A number of trends offer insight into the many causes behind the rise in pedestrian fatalities:

• More walking has increased exposure, as one survey[1] estimated that the number of Americans walking to work in the past week increased about four percent between 2007 and 2016;

• Most pedestrian fatalities take place on local roads, at night, away from intersections, suggesting the need for safer road crossings. Over the past 10 years, nighttime crashes accounted for more than 90 percent of the total increase in pedestrian deaths;

• Many unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding, distracted and drowsy driving, pose risks to pedestrians, and alcohol impairment by the driver and/or pedestrian was reported in about half of traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities in 2017; and

• Finally, the number of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) involved in pedestrian deaths has increased by 50 percent since 2013. By comparison, (non-SUV) passenger cars’ involvement in pedestrian fatalities increased by 30 percent over the same time period.

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More at link.