Crossing the street is becoming safer. Pedestrian fatalities will decrease by 5.4% in 2023, the first decline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ted S. Warren/AP
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Ted S. Warren/AP
Crossing the street is finally getting a little safer. After hitting a 40-year high in 2022, pedestrian deaths are set to decrease in 2023, according to a report published Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The report shows a 5.4% drop in the annual number of pedestrian deaths, the first decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Association CEO Jonathan Adkins says this progress is a step in the right direction.
“We're happy to see it happen, but we're not having a party,” Adkins said.
The number of deaths — 7,318 — is still far higher than in 2019, before the pandemic. But Adkins said there is some evidence that new safety initiatives may be helping. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also says overall traffic deaths have declined so far in 2024.
Road safety advocates have pushed for a variety of measures, including lower speed limits, more sidewalks and better lighting in pedestrian zones. Adkins says adopting multiple approaches is the key to preventing deaths.
“There's a lot of construction going on across the country that's making the road safer. We're engaging law enforcement agencies in some new and creative ways,” Adkins said. “We're looking at vehicle technology. So we're doing a lot of different things, and it's a different approach to safety in the United States.”
He made special mention of California, which has seen the largest reduction in pedestrian deaths and worked closely with local governments. “It's certainly historically different in terms of road safety,” he said.
Adkins says the report's findings may reflect the start of a new trend in pedestrian safety, as initiatives continue to be implemented across the United States.
“It's really only started in the last couple of years,” he said. “So I'm hopeful it's starting to pay off.”
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that many of the pedestrian deaths in 2023 occurred at night in areas without sidewalks. These were most likely caused by SUVs or other large vehicles.