Pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reached 30-year high in 2019

Pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reached 30-year high in 2019, with distracted driving, texting and SUVs blamed for the spike, according to a report released Thursday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The group’s annual report projects 6,590 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads last year, the most since 1988. The projected number of pedestrian fatalities in 2019 is also a 5-percent increase over the previous year’s number, based on the report’s preliminary data.  

The report, which analyzes individual state and national trends, also suggests that safer road crossings could improve pedestrian safety and that walking at night, more sport utility vehicles (SUVs) on roadways and “the tremendous growth of smartphone use,” which is a significant source of distracted driving, were major contributing factors in the record-number of projected 2019 fatalities. 

Download the Report

The 44-page report -- “Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2019 Preliminary Data” --  also states the number of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. has in fact been on the rise for the past 10 years -- 53 percent from 2009 to 2018.

The report also found:

• 30 states had increases in pedestrian fatalities. 
• 20 states and Washington, D.C., had decreases. 
• Five states -- Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas -- accounted for 47% of all pedestrian deaths in the U.S. 
• New Mexico had the highest rate of pedestrian deaths per resident population, while Vermont had the lowest.