Report: Pedestrian Deaths Rose Again in Early 2022

Pedestrian deaths rose by 5 percent in the first half of 2022, according to newly released preliminary projections from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). “This deeply troubling projection follows a 40-year high in pedestrian deaths in 2021 and continues a gruesome decade-long trend of more people dying while walking on U.S. roads,” the GHSA said in a press release.

A combination of factors, including a surge in dangerous driving that began at the start of the pandemic and has not lessened; larger, heavier vehicles that are more likely to seriously injure or kill people on foot in the event of a crash; roads designed to prioritize fast-moving traffic over slower speeds that are safer for pedestrians; and inadequate infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting in many parts of the country.

The GHSA notes that “three states – California, Florida and Texas – accounted for 38% of all pedestrian deaths in the first six months of 2022 but are home to 28% of the U.S. population.”

An article by Daniel C. Vock in Route Fifty adds that “Florida saw the highest increase in the number of deaths, with 29 more than in the previous year.” On the positive side, “Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia saw decreases between the two years, but only two states (Kansas and Nevada) saw two straight years of declines.”

The GHSA asserts its support for the Safe System approach to transportation planning, which outlines tools for improving pedestrian safety and protecting road users outside of cars. Vock notes that, despite the USDOT’s campaign to promote Safe System, it will take some time for any federal actions to have an impact on local trends.