GHSA projects 7,318 people walking were killed by in motor vehicle crashes in 2023. This represents a 5.4% decrease from 2022 but is still 14.1% above 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year.
GHSA's data analysis, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2023 Preliminary Data (January-December), projects that drivers struck and killed 7,318 people walking in 2023 – down 5.4% from the year before but 14.1% above 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
GHSA’s annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report offers the first look at state and national trends in pedestrian traffic deaths for 2023 based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs). The data analysis found that 29 states had fewer pedestrian deaths in 2023 compared to the year before, while 21 and Washington, D.C., had more.
The report also includes an in-depth analysis of 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System that confirms some troubling trends regarding people on foot being killed at night, where there aren’t sidewalks, and by SUVs and pickups. Since 2010, pedestrian deaths have increased by 77%, compared to a 22% rise in all other traffic fatalities. The data analysis was conducted by Elizabeth Petraglia, Ph.D., of research firm Westat.
A combination of factors creates this deadly situation for people walking on U.S. roadways. A steep drop in traffic enforcement across the country since 2020 has enabled dangerous driving behaviors – including speeding and driving impaired – to flourish. At the same time, roads are largely designed to prioritize fast-moving vehicle traffic instead of slower speeds that are safer for people walking. Many parts of the country lack infrastructure – such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting – that help protect people on foot. The U.S. vehicle fleet is increasingly dominated by larger, heavier vehicles that are more likely to injure or kill people walking.
Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2023 Preliminary Data (January-December) concludes with numerous examples of proven and innovative strategies states and communities are using to reduce pedestrian crashes, injuries and deaths.
GHSA held a webinar on July 9 to share an overview of the data and highlight the unique approaches two SHSOs are taking to address pedestrian safety. This includes using traffic safety cameras, engaging with unhoused populations and funding equitable traffic enforcement to deter unsafe drivers who put pedestrians in danger.
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