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The number of U.S. pedestrians killed in motor-vehicle crashes last year was notably higher than prepandemic levels, according to a new report from a nonprofit safety group. An estimated 7,318 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2023, 14% more than the 6,412 killed in 2019, the Governors Highway Safety Association said. Fatalities dropped more than 5% between 2022 and 2023, however, giving the group hope that a problem that has vexed local and federal officials for decades is improving.

Crossing the street is finally becoming a bit safer. After hitting a 40-year high in 2022, pedestrian deaths decreased in 2023, according to a report published Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association. The report shows a 5.4% fall in the annual number of pedestrian deaths, the first decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The association's CEO, Jonathan Adkins, says the progress is a step in the right direction.