Pedestrian death rates up

 USA Facts -  Even though people traveled less due to COVID-19 lockdowns, 2020 marked a high number of fatal car crashes nationwide. It was also a record year for pedestrians and cyclists dying in crashes. Here’s what data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says about the trend.

• Pedestrian deaths are more likely in cities, though some cities have a fatality rate below the national average. Among cities with at least 1 million residents, New York City’s fatality rate was 1.09 deaths per 100,000 people, below the national rate of 1.98 per 100,000.
   
• Dallas and Phoenix had the country’s highest pedestrian fatality rates among big cities. An audit of Dallas pedestrian safety found that limited resources and funding led to unmaintained crosswalks and pedestrian traffic signals. Limited crosswalks, frequent driveway access, and old signal equipment were common characteristics of Phoenix roads with many crashes.
   
• New Mexico had the highest pedestrian fatality rate at 3.75 deaths per 100,000 people. Maine had lowest at 0.67.
   
• Nationally, the cyclist fatality rate was around 14% of the pedestrian fatality rate (or 0.28 cyclist deaths per 100,000 people). Florida had the highest rate (0.78 deaths per 100,000), then Louisiana (0.73 per 100,000). Montana and South Dakota didn’t record any cyclist deaths in 2020.

How can infrastructure improvements change this trend? Read the report to find out.