Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2020 Preliminary Data

Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State
Resource Type
Spotlight on Highway Safety

GHSA's Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2020 Preliminary Data and subsequent addendum offer the first comprehensive look at state and national trends in pedestrian deaths for the full year (January-December). The report projects the U.S. pedestrian fatality rate per billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) jumped to 2.3 deaths in 2020 – an unprecedented 21% increase from 1.9 in 2019.

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An analysis of data reported by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) projects that 6,721 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in 2020, up 4.8% from 6,412 fatalities in 2019. The report examines key trends affecting this rise in pedestrian deaths, including increased reckless driving behaviors, the need for safer road crossings and efforts to make pedestrians more visible through better lighting and other strategies, and the continued uptick in sales of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which cause more pedestrian serious and fatal injuries in the event of a collision. The report also discusses the need for a comprehensive approach that leverages engineering, public education, emergency response and equitable enforcement for reducing pedestrian-motor vehicles crashes and saving lives.

The data analysis was conducted by Richard Retting of Sam Schwartz Consulting.

Infographics Available for Download

JPEGs of the following infographics are available for download under "Resource Downloads" below.

Infographic 2

Infographic 3

Resource Category
Publication