America’s Pedestrian Safety Crisis: Causes, Data, and Solutions
Pedestrian deaths are soaring across the U.S.—explore why, where, and how experts propose to turn the tide in the nation’s ongoing safety crisis.
America’s Pedestrian Safety Crisis: Understanding the Urgency
Pedestrian fatalities in the United States have surged over the past decade, marking an urgent public health emergency that continues to endanger lives despite recent modest declines in total deaths. With more than 7,500 pedestrians struck and killed in 2022 alone—the highest level in four decades—the crisis demands a thorough examination of underlying causes and potential interventions.
The Scope of the Crisis
The upward trajectory of pedestrian deaths has been staggering. In 2022, 7,522 people were killed while walking in the U.S., an increase of 75% since 2010 and the highest rate in 40 years.1 Recent data suggests a slight reduction in 2024, with 7,148 pedestrian fatalities projected—yet these numbers remain nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic totals and 48% higher than a decade ago.2
- More than 20 pedestrians are killed every day across the U.S.4
- In 2021, pedestrian fatalities rose by 12.5% compared to 2020.3
- Pedestrian deaths now comprise almost one-fifth of all traffic fatalities.
This consistent rise sharply outpaces population growth, and while total fatalities from all traffic incidents fluctuate, pedestrian deaths have shown a relentless increase.
Recent Trends and Data Snapshots
Although experts cautiously celebrate a 4.3% drop in pedestrian deaths from 2023 to 2024, this equates to only about 300 fewer fatalities—still leaving thousands of families grieving each year.1 Notably, the recent decreases only return fatality levels to where they were a few years prior, not to the safer rates of the early 2000s.
| Year | Pedestrian Fatalities | % Change from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4,833 | – |
| 2019 | 6,237 | +29% |
| 2021 | 7,388 | +12.5% |
| 2022 | 7,522 | +1.8% |
| 2024 (proj.) | 7,148 | -4.3% |
Even with recent declines, today’s annual toll is almost double that of 2009, when just over 4,100 pedestrians died on U.S. roads.1
Root Causes: Why Are More Pedestrians Dying?
Multiple, interlocking factors have contributed to America’s pedestrian safety crisis, compounding over the last decade to produce this alarming rise.
Bigger and Heavier Vehicles
- Light trucks—especially SUVs and pickups—now account for nearly 80% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. These vehicles are larger, heavier, and sit higher than traditional cars, dramatically increasing the risk and severity of injuries to pedestrians when collisions occur.1
- “Vehicle arms race”: As automakers continually produce bigger models for perceived safety and comfort, the threat to those outside vehicles escalates.
- While vehicle occupants benefit from advanced safety technologies, the increased size, height, and weight of vehicles create deadlier conditions for pedestrians in the event of a crash.
Poor Street and Road Design
- Many American streets—especially in suburban and southern cities—were engineered for high-speed vehicle travel, not safe walking or biking.
- Lack of sidewalks, safe crossings, adequate lighting, and traffic calming features make walking perilous in many neighborhoods.
- Wide roads with multiple travel lanes encourage speeding and leave pedestrians exposed for longer while crossing.
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Reckless and Distracted Driving
- Since the pandemic, experts observed a surge in reckless driving behavior—including speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving—exacerbated by less traffic enforcement.
- While deadly driving behavior has somewhat stabilized, enforcement targeting dangerous behaviors remains a critical tool to prevent pedestrian harm.2
Increasing Hit-and-Run Incidents
- About 25% of pedestrian fatalities now involve drivers who flee the scene—a trend that adds trauma for victims and their families.1
Disproportionate Risk for Vulnerable Populations
- Children, older adults, and lower-income pedestrians face elevated risks, often due to poorly designed infrastructure and less access to safe mobility options.3
- People walking in marginalized neighborhoods are especially vulnerable to the hazards posed by dangerous street design and speeding vehicles.
Dangerous Geography: Where Are Pedestrian Deaths the Highest?
Death rates for pedestrians are not distributed evenly across the country. Southern and Sunbelt metro areas fare worst, with rates rising sharply over the past decade.
- Memphis, TN currently ranks as the deadliest metro area for pedestrians, with a rate of 5.14 deaths per 100,000 people—a nearly threefold increase since 2009.4
- Other high-risk metro areas include Orlando, FL; Albuquerque, NM; and Jacksonville, FL, reflecting patterns of wide, high-speed roads and sprawling development.
- Between 2013 and 2022, 61,459 pedestrians were struck and killed nationwide—a 25% increase from the previous decade.4
Table: Metro Areas with the Highest Pedestrian Fatality Rates
| Metro Area | Deaths per 100,000 (2022) |
|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 5.14 |
| Orlando, FL | 4.85 |
| Albuquerque, NM | 4.76 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 4.11 |
Personal Impact: Behind Every Statistic Is a Life
Each fatality represents a person: a friend, a family member, a co-worker. Communities across the country mourn tens of thousands of lives lost, as well as the traumatic injuries suffered by tens of thousands more annually.4 The emotional and social toll reaches far beyond the victims themselves.
- More than 60,000 pedestrians were injured in a single year (2021), a number that is climbing alongside the death toll.3
- The fatal consequences disproportionately affect children and older adults: 15% of children under 14 killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians.3
Sustainable Solutions: Rethinking Road Safety
Experts agree that the U.S. must adopt a multifaceted approach to stem—and reverse—the pedestrian safety crisis. This means moving beyond the status quo of infrastructure design and automotive priorities.
Holistic Approaches to Safety
- Safe Streets for All: Redesigning streets to prioritize pedestrian safety with features like curb bulb-outs, raised crosswalks, uninterrupted sidewalks, and pedestrian refuge islands.
- Traffic Calming Measures: Narrowing lanes, introducing median islands, lowering speed limits, and deploying speed humps reduce speeding and create safer environments for people walking.
- Enforcement and Policy: Targeted law enforcement on behaviors proven to endanger pedestrians—namely speeding, distracted and impaired driving—is crucial. However, experts call for these efforts to be coupled with infrastructure changes and equitable enforcement practices.2
- Vehicle Design Reforms: Regulators can mandate safety enhancements that protect people outside vehicles, such as pedestrian-friendly front-end vehicle designs and automatic emergency braking technology.
- Data-Informed Investments: Using crash data at the community level to identify pedestrian hot spots and deploy countermeasures where they will save the most lives.3
Federal and Local Initiatives
- The Safe Streets and Roads for All program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funds local safety action plans and street redesigns in communities nationwide.
- Organizations such as the Governors Highway Safety Association and Vision Zero Network advocate for a systems-focused “Safe System Approach,” recognizing that people make mistakes but deadly crashes must be prevented through design and policy.
Barriers to Progress
- Funding constraints and longstanding car-centric planning priorities slow the pace of change, especially in low-income communities disproportionately impacted by unsafe streets.
- Car manufacturers resist some design changes that could curtail the appeal and profits of larger, heavier vehicles, complicating regulatory efforts to prioritize safety for all road users.1
- Cultural attitudes often still favor vehicle speed and convenience over pedestrian safety, making political momentum for redesigning streets inconsistent across regions.
What Next? A Call to Action
The data is clear. Despite recent modest improvements, the number of people killed while walking on American streets remains astronomically high—and has been trending upward for over a decade. The crisis will continue until policymakers, planners, automakers, and the public embrace new strategies for safer, more walkable communities for everyone.
- Redesign dangerous streets to put people—not just cars—first.
- Implement proven traffic calming and pedestrian safety interventions in high-risk corridors.
- Hold vehicle manufacturers to higher standards for protecting people outside cars.
- Prioritize sustained funding for pedestrian infrastructure, especially in communities facing the greatest risk.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the leading factors behind rising pedestrian fatalities in the U.S.?
A: The main contributors are oversized vehicles (SUVs and pickups), unsafe street design that prioritizes cars, inadequate infrastructure for pedestrians, and a rise in reckless driving behavior including speeding and distracted driving.
Q: Where are pedestrian deaths increasing fastest?
A: Southern and Sunbelt metro areas such as Memphis, Orlando, and Albuquerque see the fastest growth, reflecting car-centric urban design and wide roadways with high speeds.
Q: Are any age groups particularly at risk?
A: Yes. Children (particularly under 14), older adults, and residents of low-income areas face a disproportionately high risk of fatal pedestrian crashes. In 2021, children accounted for 15% of pedestrian deaths among their age group.
Q: Has the pandemic affected pedestrian safety trends?
A: The pandemic initially led to emptier streets and riskier driving, increasing fatal crashes in 2020 and 2021. While deaths have recently dipped, rates remain far above pre-pandemic and pre-2010 levels.
Q: What can be done to improve pedestrian safety?
A: Solutions include redesigning streets with pedestrian infrastructure, lowering speed limits, strengthening vehicle safety standards, targeting dangerous driving through enforcement, and making data-driven investments where risk is highest.
Further Resources
- Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) – Pedestrian Safety Resources
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – Traffic Safety Facts
- Smart Growth America – Dangerous by Design Report
- Vision Zero Network – Safe Systems Approach to Traffic Safety
References
- https://usa.streetsblog.org/2025/07/11/new-report-shows-pedestrian-fatalities-drop-but-experts-say-not-enough
- https://www.ghsa.org/resource-hub/pedestrian-traffic-fatalities-january-june-2024
- https://www.ems.gov/resources/newsletters/october-2023/october-is-national-pedestrian-safety-month
- https://smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design/
- https://www.ghsa.org/news/early-2024-us-pedestrian-fatalities-48-decade-ago
- https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/safety-topics/pedestrian-safety
- https://www.cdc.gov/pedestrian-bike-safety/about/pedestrian-safety.html
- https://highways.dot.gov/safety/pedestrian-bicyclist
- https://www.nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/pedestrian-safety
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