Pedestrian Deaths

  

The N.Y. Times this morning reports on increases in pedestrian deaths across the country:

"Crashes killed more than 6,700 pedestrians in 2020, up about 5 percent from the estimated 6,412 the year before, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Based on another commonly used road safety metric — vehicle miles traveled — the group projected that the pedestrian fatality rate spiked about 21 percent in 2020 as deaths climbed sharply even though people drove much less that year, the largest ever year-over-year increase. And preliminary data from 2021 indicates yet another increase in the number of pedestrian deaths.

While other developed countries have made strides in reducing pedestrian deaths over the last several years, the pandemic has intensified several trends that have pushed the United States in the other direction. Crashes killing pedestrians climbed 46 percent over the last decade, compared with a 5 percent increase for all other crashes, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association."

 

     Coincidentally, Alabama News Network is reporting an increase in those deaths in Montgomery, including a woman killed on West-South Boulevard this week: 

"In 2021, Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Highway Patrol Division, in conjunction with our other law enforcement partners across the state, investigated 769 pedestrian related traffic crashes which resulted in 125 pedestrian fatalities.

“We’ve noticed a trend of pedestrian related tragedies as well as fatalities,” Sgt. Jeremy Burkett with ALEA said."