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Older pedestrians at greatest risk of being struck, tri-state group says
Photo by Boyd Loving
Older pedestrians at greatest risk of being struck, tri-state group says
Wednesday, August 15, 2012 Last updated: Wednesday August 15, 2012, 2:16 PM
Associated Press
TRENTON — Older pedestrians are more than twice as likely to be struck and killed by cars or trucks than those under age 60, according to a new report by a group studying transportation issues in New Jersey, southern New York and Connecticut.
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign found the risk of being killed while walking rises with age. Pedestrians over age 60 are 2.4 times more likely to be fatally run down than those under 60, the report showed; for people over 75, the risk is 3 times higher.
The organization found 435 people over 60 died in pedestrian accidents in the region from 2008 through 2010, accounting for one-third of the total number of tri-state pedestrian-vehicle deaths during the period. People over 60 make up about 17 percent of the population.
The death rate for pedestrians in the region over age 60 declined slightly from 2007 through 2009, but it increased for those 75 and older.
