U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Fall for Second Straight Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-580-7930, 202-365-8971 (cell)

Despite overall progress, data uncovers alarming trends about deaths in hit-and-run crashes, at night and in places without sidewalks

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Drivers struck and killed 7,148 people in the United States last year, enough to fill 31 Boeing 737s, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Pedestrian deaths were down 4.3% in 2024, the second consecutive annual decline after surging throughout the prior decade. Pedestrian fatalities remain nearly 20% above the 2016 level and reached a 40-year high in 2022.

GHSA’s new data analysis, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2024 Preliminary Data, provides a first look at pedestrian safety trends and changes in fatalities at the state level, building upon a report GHSA issued earlier this year that focused on fatalities for January-June. The new report also includes an in-depth analysis of 2023 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that reaffirms troubling trends regarding deaths of people on foot happening in hit-and-runs, at night, in crashes with SUVs and pickups, and where there are no sidewalks.

The report highlights how State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and their partners are leveraging enforcement, data, technology, education, infrastructure and other proven solutions to improve pedestrian safety and save lives. GHSA will hold a webinar on July 31, at 2 p.m. EDT, to share an overview of the data and highlight unique approaches states are taking to pedestrian safety.

“The second straight year of fewer pedestrian deaths is a step in the right direction, but much more must be done to protect people walking,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “Now is the time to double down on what works – more and better infrastructure, enforcement to deter dangerous driving behaviors, engaged and informed communities, and vehicles designed to protect people on foot. An all-in strategy to address pedestrian safety will help us build on this recent momentum and save even more lives.”

Pedestrian Safety Trends: What the Data Says

In addition to providing a first look at state-level fatality figures, the GHSA report examines 2023 data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This deep dive examines when, where and how drivers strike and kill people on foot and found that:

• One in four pedestrian deaths is the result of a hit-and-run crash. Over the past five years, 25% of fatalities have involved a crash where a driver involved in the crash flees the scene. In these fatal hit-and-runs, the vehicle that struck the pedestrian was the fleeing vehicle the vast majority (94%) of the time.
• Pedestrian deaths are increasing at a rate far faster than overall traffic fatalities. Between 2009 and 2023, pedestrian deaths rose a staggering 80%, while all other traffic fatalities increased 13%. There were 225 fewer pedestrian deaths in 2023 compared to the year before, but there were 1,478 fewer fatalities from all other traffic crashes.
• The share of pedestrian deaths caused by SUVs and pickups has surged in recent years. While the number of pedestrian deaths involving passenger cars and light trucks (including SUVs, pickups and vans) was largely similar for much of the 2010s, a significant gap has emerged and grown since 2019. Light trucks accounted for 54% of pedestrian fatalities where a vehicle type was known in 2023, compared to 37% for passenger cars.
• More than three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities occur after dark. The share of nighttime deaths has skyrocketed recently. Fatal pedestrian crashes at night nearly doubled from 3,030 in 2010 to 5,578 in 2023. That’s an 84% increase, compared to a 28% rise in daylight fatalities (from 1,092 in 2010 to 1,396 in 2023).
• Nearly two-thirds of pedestrian deaths occurred in locations without a sidewalk in 2023. Since 2017, the number of pedestrian fatalities in places without a sidewalk noted on the crash report has risen by 1,164, compared to an increase of 167 in locations with a sidewalk. Sidewalks can help protect people walking by providing a physical separation between them and motor vehicle traffic, but they are missing or in poor condition in many parts of the country.
• In 2023, nearly 1,200 people died on freeways and interstates, which aren’t designed for pedestrians. Why so many? While they’re not traditionally thought of as pedestrians, stranded motorists exiting their vehicles, first responders and tow truck drivers are all examples of people killed on freeways. All states have Move Over laws designed to address this problem, but they are difficult to enforce. Digital alerting technology that warns drivers of vehicles on the roadside can help reduce these types of crashes.
• Alcohol impairment by both drivers and pedestrians is a significant safety concern. In 2023, 29% of pedestrians 16 and older killed in motor vehicle crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. Looking at driver impairment, approximately 16% of fatal pedestrian crashes involved a driver with a BAC over 0.08. Alcohol and/or drug impairment by pedestrians can put them at risk while walking near vehicle traffic, but drivers bear the brunt of responsibility as the operators of multi-ton machines with the kinetic potential to kill or injure someone.

This August, traffic safety, law enforcement, technology, government, nonprofit, and business leaders will come together in Pittsburgh for the GHSA 2025 Annual Meeting. The safety of people walking, rolling and riding will be woven throughout the conference in numerous workshops and general sessions, including several focused on data and the future of traffic safety.

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