Pedestrians in the U.S. are increasingly at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
According to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association, drivers struck and killed 3,434 people in the first half of 2022. That's an increase of 5% from the same period in 2021.
"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 Governors Highway Safety Association stated.
The national average shows there are 1.04 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people. In Florida and New Mexico, the states with the highest rate of pedestrian deaths, the figure is above 1.90.
The report states that only two states, Kansas and Nevada, saw two years of declines in pedestrian fatalities.
Traffic deaths are at record numbers. What's to blame?
Experts blame rising traffic deaths on dangerous driving behaviors as well as inadequate infrastructure.
The Governors Highway Safety Association says there are numerous contributing factors leading to more deaths on U.S. roadways. They include an increase in dangerous driving habits, heavier vehicles and inadequate infrastructure, such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting.
"The only way to reverse this awful trend is to do more of everything that works — more and better designed infrastructure to keep people walking safe, equitable enforcement of traffic safety laws to stop dangerous driving and engaging more communities where the impacts of this crisis are felt the hardest," said Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Governors Highway Safety Association.
In addition to a rising number of pedestrian deaths, the Department of Transportation says another 76,000 pedestrians are injured in roadway crashes every year.
