Drivers hit and killed 3,304 people walking in the United States in the first half of 2024, down 2.6% from the year before but a staggering 48% above a decade ago, according to a new analysis from GHSA.
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CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (cell)
Modest annual 3% decline in deaths of people walking is overshadowed by steady rise in fatalities since 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Drivers killed 3,304 people walking in the United States in the first half of 2024, down 2.6% from the year before, according to a new analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). While that’s 88 fewer fatalities than during the first six months of 2023, it represents a staggering 1,072 more pedestrian deaths than in 2014.
Each year, GHSA offers the first look at state and national trends in pedestrian traffic deaths from January through June based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs). The data analysis found that while pedestrian deaths during the first six months of 2024 fell slightly from the year before, they are 12% higher than 2019 and up a shocking 48% since 2014. Over the last decade, deaths of people on foot have risen at a pace nearly seven times higher than U.S. population growth (7%). The data analysis was conducted by Kyle Hickson, Ph.D., of research firm Westat.
Why are roads so dangerous for people walking? A combination of overlapping and interrelated factors. A steep drop in traffic enforcement nationwide since 2020 has let dangerous driving behaviors run amok. Roads are largely designed to prioritize fast-moving vehicle traffic instead of slower speeds that are safer for people on foot. Many communities lack infrastructure – such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting – that help protect pedestrians. And the U.S. vehicle fleet is increasingly dominated by larger, heavier vehicles that are more likely to injure or kill people walking.
To help address this pedestrian safety crisis, GHSA supports a holistic solution that establishes a multi-layered safety net that can protect everyone on the road. A key part of this safety net is traffic enforcement focused on dangerous driving behaviors – like speeding, and impaired or distracted driving – that put people on foot in danger across the country.
“Every day, 18 people don’t return home after taking a walk. That’s unacceptable,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “While recent incremental progress is welcome, it doesn’t disguise the fact that the numbers moved in the wrong direction over the past decade. The only acceptable number of traffic deaths is zero. We must continue to push for an all-in safety approach that protects people on foot from the dangerous behaviors that are all too common on our roads. By encouraging drivers and pedestrians to implement safe practices, supporting the enforcement of traffic laws and implementing infrastructure improvements, we can turn the tide on pedestrian fatalities.”
The decline in pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2024 mirrors the recent trend in overall traffic fatalities. Total roadway deaths fell 3.2% during the first six months of last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, much like pedestrian deaths, overall traffic fatalities remain well above what they were five and ten years ago. The 18,720 roadway deaths in the first half of 2024 are up 10% from the 17,025 reported during the same period in 2019 and up 25% from 15,035 in 2014.
At the state level, this latest GHSA report indicates that pedestrian fatalities decreased in 22 states. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) experienced increases, while the numbers were unchanged in five states. Seven states reported two consecutive decreases in pedestrian fatalities for the first half of the year, while four have experienced two straight increases.
GHSA will publish a second, comprehensive Spotlight report later this year. That report will include state pedestrian fatality projections for all of 2024, an analysis of 2023 data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and an overview of proven strategies states and communities are employing to help prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
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The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans.
