Last year, an estimated 6,000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), marking the second consecutive year where fatalities were the highest they have been in a quarter century.
“Two consecutive years of 6,000 pedestrian deaths is a red flag for all of us in the traffic safety community,” Jonathan Adkins, GHSA executive director, said. “These high levels are no longer a blip but unfortunately a sustained trend. We can’t afford to let this be the new normal.”
The GHSA based its estimate on data from highway-safety offices. During the first half of 2017, there were 2,636 pedestrian fatalities. This means there were an estimated 5,984 deaths for the year. In 2016, there were 5,987 fatalities.
Pedestrians deaths are now 16 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities, a 5 percent increase from a few years ago.
The GHSA attributes this rise in smartphone use and marijuana legalization. From 2010 to 2016,
smartphones use increased 236 percent. Between 2012 and 2016, seven states and Washington, D.C. legalized recreational marijuana, and pedestrian fatalities grew collectively by 16.4 percent.
The report also included strategies for reducing pedestrian and motor vehicle crashes and suggested policy changes.