Report: US pedestrian deaths on rise since 2019 as calls for safer roads grow

A report by the the nonprofit Governors Highway Association on Tuesday, June 25, found that the number of pedestrians killed by motor vehicles has increased over the past five years. In 2023, 7,318 pedestrians were killed in crashes, a 14% rise from 2019, according to the newly released findings .

The nonprofit blames Americans' love of bigger vehicles, like SUVs and trucks, an uptick in speeding over the years, and lack of pedestrian-friendly roads and sidewalks. The association said that the problem was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a decline in traffic enforcement as more speeding occurred among drivers, and an increase in alcohol use.

In the first half of 2020, the study showed that pedestrian deaths jumped 20% from the previous year. That trend continued into 2021 and reached a 40-year high in 2022 .

The study also shows that alcohol isn't just a problem for drivers. In 2022, around 30% of deaths involved a pedestrian whose blood alcohol level was above the legal limit to drive, while 19% of deadly crashes involved a driver who had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit.

However, the study did find that deaths among pedestrians killed by drivers dropped 5% in 2023 and so far, pedestrian deaths are down 3% in 2024.

The Governors Highway Safety Association said that the decrease in fatalities could be because of things like increased police presence, automatic enforcement tech and better road design that is friendlier to pedestrians.

However, the group said that there is much more work to be done.

The report recommends additional steps to keep pedestrians safe. Some of the proposals involve better street designs for pedestrians and enhanced enforcement of traffic laws by law enforcement.

Researchers said that pedestrians killed by drivers rose nearly 77% from 2010 to 2022.

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