Pedestrian Safety Data From the National Safety Council

Pedestrians continue to remain one of the most vulnerable groups of people on and beside U.S. roadways. The National Safety Council (NSC) has important injury facts that everybody needs to read. It doesn’t matter if you walk to school or work, if you walk your dog or simply just walk from your car to a building. Everyone is a pedestrian at some time or another, so motorists need to be on the lookout for adults and children sharing the roadway.   

U.S. Pedestrian Crash Facts  

  • There were an estimated 8,984 pedestrian deaths in 2021 in traffic or non-traffic incidents.   
  • An estimated 7,388 of those people died in traffic crashes on public roads in 2021.  
  • Most pedestrian traffic fatalities happened in urban settings (84 percent) and on the open road (77 percent) versus intersections (23 percent).  
  • Most pedestrian deaths (74 percent) happened during dark conditions, with or without artificial lighting. 
  • The largest number of pedestrian fatalities happened on Fridays and Saturdays, and the majority of those occurred during dark conditions.  

Friday and Saturday Nights Are Especially Dangerous For Pedestrians 

The data shows that Friday and Saturday nights are especially dangerous for pedestrians. It’s not uncommon to see a spike in injury-causing and fatal crashes involving alcohol on weekend nights as well. Pedestrians who are walking during dark conditions on weekend nights are encouraged to exercise additional caution, as there could be an increase in the number of drunk or drugged drivers on roadways.  

Even with high-visibility clothing and safe walking habits, pedestrians are truly at the mercy of the motorists they walk beside. Drivers can do their part to improve pedestrian safety by making a commitment to distraction-free driving and never getting behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking or taking drugs. Even certain over-the-counter and legally prescribed medications can be dangerous when mixed with driving, so play it safe and ask your doctor or pharmacist about a medication if you’re concerned it might impact your cognition, alertness or safety behind the wheel. It’s everybody’s responsibility to keep pedestrians safe.  

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.