Drivers struck and killed 7,148 people walking in the United States in 2024, down 4.3% from the year before and the second annual decline, but nearly 20% higher than the 2016 level.
GHSA's analysis of preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) found that U.S. drivers struck and killed 7,148 pedestrians in 2024, enough to fill more than 30 Boeing 737 jets at maximum capacity. Year-over-year, pedestrian deaths were down 4.3%, the second consecutive annual decline. However, pedestrian fatalities remain nearly 20% above the 2016 level and reached a 40-year high in 2022.
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.
To help address this pedestrian safety crisis, GHSA supports a holistic solution that establishes a multi-layered safety net that can protect everyone on the road. A key part of this safety net is traffic enforcement focused on dangerous driving behaviors – like speeding, and impaired or distracted driving – that put people on foot in danger across the country.
In this webinar, sponsored by Qualcomm, GHSA Communications Director Adam Snider shared an overview of the data and what it says about U.S. pedestrian safety trends.
Bill Kotowski with the Idaho Office of Highway Safety and Jona Elson with the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office discussed the unique approaches their states are taking to address pedestrian safety.
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