Pedestrian Fatalities: What are some Pedestrian Safety Tips?
February 14th 2022
What is a pedestrian? According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a pedestrian, as it pertains to a motor vehicle crash, is any person on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting, or lying down, who is involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash [1].
In 2019, there were 6,205 pedestrians who were killed in traffic crashes in the United States [1]. On average, one pedestrian was killed every 85 minutes in traffic crashes, 17 pedestrians per day, and 119 pedestrians per week [1]. In Canada, 332 pedestrians were killed in 2018 due to motor vehicle crashes, which was up from 302 in 2017 [2]. Perhaps not surprisingly, more pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban (82%) compared to rural (18%) areas. Furthermore, the dark (76%) was the predominant condition in which the most pedestrian fatalities occurred [1].
NHTSA has published some suggested safety reminders for both pedestrians and drivers.
The full list can be found here, but some suggestions for pedestrians include:
- Walk on a sidewalk or path when one is available;
- Never assume a driver sees you; make eye contact with drivers as they approach;
- Be predictable in terms of where you cross streets;
- Be visible – wear bright clothing in the day, and reflective materials/flashlights at night.
Distracted walking incidents are also increasing, and every person who has a cell phone is at risk. A simple solution is stop using our cell phones when walking [3]. The National Safety Council promotes a clear message that children and adults of all ages should keep in mind: Head up, phone down [3].
Both pedestrians and drivers play an important role in reducing pedestrian fatalities, and if everyone does their part, these unnecessary deaths can be prevented.
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[1] https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813079
[3] https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/distracted-walking