GHSA Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: Findings from 2019
For the past six years, Sam Schwartz has been retained by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to prepare a series of national reports on pedestrian fatalities. The growing number of pedestrian fatalities has prompted GHSA to carefully examine pedestrian fatality data.
Our Safety & Research team conducts rigorous analysis of preliminary fatality data for the first six months of the year—provided by highway safety offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia—to project the number of pedestrian deaths for that year. This analysis provides an early look at annual projections many months before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data is available (annual FARS data are typically released near the end of the following calendar year). The projections produced by Sam Schwartz for 2015 through 2018 came within less than one percent of the final numbers eventually reported by NHTSA.
The Spotlight reports present state-by-state pedestrian fatality data, and also provide insights into patterns and circumstances of fatal pedestrian crashes, such as:
Pedestrian fatalities by roadway function class
Pedestrian fatalities by light condition
Number of pedestrian fatalities at intersection versus non-intersection locations
The role of alcohol impairment
The role of smartphone distraction
Number of pedestrians killed by vehicle type
Pedestrian deaths in the 10 largest U.S. cities
The reports also discuss efforts and countermeasures to reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries.
These GHSA Pedestrian Spotlight reports have coincided with an unprecedented and disturbing rise in the number of pedestrian fatalities, which increased by 53% from 2009 to 2018. As a result, more than 2,000 more pedestrians were killed in 2018 than 2009.
The most recent Pedestrian Spotlight report, released February 27th, estimates the nationwide number of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 was 6,590, an increase of approximately 300 deaths, or 5%, from 2018. This projection would be the largest annual number of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. since 1988.
Richard Retting is Sam Schwartz’s Director of Safety and Research
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