U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Fall for Third Straight Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Adam Snider (GHSA), 202-365-8971

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Drivers hit and killed 7% fewer people walking on U.S. roads in 2025 compared to the year before – the largest annual reduction since pedestrian deaths began falling three years ago, according to a new data analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

While this recent progress is welcome, the projected 6,732 pedestrian fatalities in 2025 were still 5% above the 2019 level, the last year before the pandemic caused widespread changes in traffic patterns and reductions in enforcement. Those deaths had a financial toll of nearly $94 billion from productivity losses, medical treatments, emergency services and legal fees, among other costs.

The data analysis, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 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. The new 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 16, at 2 p.m. EDT, to share an overview of the data and highlight unique approaches states are taking to pedestrian safety.

“It’s encouraging to see fewer pedestrian deaths for the third straight year – another sign of the growing momentum in roadway safety,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “Let’s keep this progress going until we reach zero deaths. We must stay vigilant and leverage proven countermeasures like traffic enforcement that focus on high-risk driving behavior, education and outreach initiatives, and infrastructure improvements.”

“We’re encouraged to see pedestrian fatalities continuing to trend downward in recent years, particularly in medium-sized communities,” said Anderson Abernathy, President & COO of Michelin Mobility Intelligence, North America, who provided financial support for the report’s production. “While this progress is meaningful, every life lost on our roadways is one too many, and there is still significant work ahead. Continued improvement will depend on equipping transportation leaders with richer, more timely data insights to help identify risks before tragedies occur. Michelin Mobility Intelligence is proud to support GHSA and the 2025 Pedestrian Spotlight Report as we work together to help make roads safer for everyone.”

Pedestrian Safety Trends: What the Data Say

In addition to providing a first look at 2025 state-level fatality figures, the report also includes an in-depth analysis of 2024 pedestrian fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

This data includes specific information on crash characteristics – speeding, hit-and-runs, alcohol impairment, light condition, roadway factors and vehicle types – that can offer additional insights on how, why, where and when drivers strike and kill people walking.

Some key trends that the 2024 FARS data show:

• SUVs and pickups account for more than half of pedestrian fatalities. Light trucks (a category that includes SUVs, pickup trucks and vans) were the striking vehicle in 50.4% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2024, compared to 40.6% for passenger cars. A significant gap between these two vehicle categories emerged in 2019 and grew through 2023 but narrowed slightly in 2024.
• Most crashes happen in urban areas, but rural crashes are more likely to be fatal. In 2024, 84% of pedestrian crashes happened in urban areas. In those urban areas, 9.2% of pedestrian crashes were fatal, compared to 15.1% in rural areas. Potential reasons for this disparity include higher vehicle speeds (which are more dangerous to pedestrians) and longer EMS response times.
• More than 1,100 people (15% of all pedestrian deaths) died on freeways and interstates, which aren’t designed for people walking. While not traditionally thought of as pedestrians, stranded motorists exiting their vehicles, first responders and tow truck drivers are all examples of people killed on freeways. All states have Move Over laws designed to address this problem, but drivers frequently remain at high speed.
• Distraction is increasingly a factor in pedestrian fatalities. In 2024, 21.7% of pedestrian fatalities involved a distracted driver, up from 15.6% in 2019. Distraction on the part of the pedestrian was cited in 29.2% of fatal crashes in 2024, nearly double the 15.3% level in 2019.
• Nearly one in four pedestrian deaths is the result of a hit-and-run crash. Drivers who fled the scene hit and killed 1,669 pedestrians in 2024, down 4% from the year before. Hit-and-runs accounted for 23.8% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2024, up from a six-year low of 19.9% in 2019.
• More than three-quarters of deaths happen at night. An overwhelming majority (76.5%) of pedestrian fatalities with known lighting conditions occurred after dark, regardless of whether there was artificial lighting. This compares to just 19.9% of pedestrian fatalities taking place during daylight hours and 3.6% at dawn or dusk.
• Three in every five deaths occurred in locations without a sidewalk. In 2024, 62.2% of pedestrian fatalities occurred where there was no sidewalk, a small decrease from the previous year (64.8%) and notably lower than the 68.3% in 2021.
• Alcohol impairment surges among young drivers. Impairment, by both drivers and pedestrians, is a significant and long-running roadway safety concern. In pedestrian fatalities involving a driver age 16–24, the driver had a BAC above .08 in 15.6% of crashes in 2024, more than double the 7.2% in 2019. Alcohol impairment among pedestrians has fallen among nearly all age groups.

Pedestrian safety and how to leverage technology to protect people walking will be in the spotlight at the GHSA 2026 Annual Meeting, which will bring together traffic safety, law enforcement, technology, government, nonprofit and business leaders in Minneapolis, August 29 – September 2.

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