U.S. pedestrian deaths fall for second straight year (GHSA)
Shift into Safe News
Drivers struck and killed 7,148 people in the United States last year, enough to fill 31 Boeing 737s, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Pedestrian deaths were down 4.3% in 2024, the second consecutive annual decline after surging throughout the prior decade. Pedestrian fatalities remain nearly 20% above the 2016 level and reached a 40-year high in 2022.
GHSA’s new data analysis, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2024 Preliminary Data, provides a first look at pedestrian safety trends and changes in fatalities at the state level, building upon a report GHSA issued earlier this year that focused on fatalities for January-June. The new report also includes an in-depth analysis of 2023 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that reaffirms troubling trends regarding deaths of people on foot happening in hit-and-runs, at night, in crashes with SUVs and pickups, and where there are no sidewalks.
The report highlights how State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and their partners are leveraging enforcement, data, technology, education, infrastructure and other proven solutions to improve pedestrian safety and save lives. GHSA will hold a webinar on July 31, at 2 p.m. EDT, to share an overview of the data and highlight unique approaches states are taking to pedestrian safety.
“The second straight year of fewer pedestrian deaths is a step in the right direction, but much more must be done to protect people walking,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “Now is the time to double down on what works — more and better infrastructure, enforcement to deter dangerous driving behaviors, engaged and informed communities, and vehicles designed to protect people on foot. An all-in strategy to address pedestrian safety will help us build on this recent momentum and save even more lives.”
