file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, according to the AP the number of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. reached a nearly 30-year high in 2018. A report released on Thursday sites smartphone distraction and the growing prevalence of SUVs as possible factors.
Last year an estimated 6,227 people died on foot from car crashes nationwide, the most since 1990, according to the report. Pedestrian deaths now account for about 16% of motor-vehicle crash deaths, up from 12% a decade ago. In that span, all other traffic deaths grew by less than 5%.
Transportation safety experts are alarmed by the rising toll of pedestrian deaths and many blame the legacy of road networks designed to maximize the speed of cars. They applaud many cities’ move in recent years to lower speed limits, redesign intersections and improve crosswalks, and think these pedestrian-friendly strategies should improve fatality rates.
Twenty-five states and Washington, D.C., reported an increase in pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2018, with Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas accounting for nearly half of all fatalities.There are some bright spots in the data: Pedestrian deaths were down in nearly two dozen states, substantially in some cases. New York City and other large cities also have made notable safety gains for walkers in recent years.
Pedestrian deaths plummeted from 6,482 to 4,109 from 1990 to 2009, federal figures show. Fatalities then rose 45% from 2009 to 2017. The 2018 fatality estimate is based on half-year totals reported by all states, and previous projections based on midyear figures have closely mirrored final full-year totals.
The report highlights the growing shift away from passenger cars to SUVs and light trucks, which generally cause greater injury to walkers than cars at the same speed . The report said, the number of such deaths involving SUVs grew by 50% from 2013 to 2017, compared with a 30% increase for passenger cars.
Distractions caused by smartphones for pedestrians and drivers alike are a growing concern.
As in Ridgewood a large share of the increase in pedestrian fatalities involved crashes after dark. From 2008 to 2017, the number of nighttime pedestrian fatal crashes rose 45% compared with an 11% increase for those occurring during the day. The report sited alcohol use is a likely factor. In 2017, about half of all fatal pedestrian traffic crashes involved alcohol impairment by the driver, pedestrian or both.
Well that’s what happens when you’re very stupid law allowing everyone to just walk right into the street without looking. Dolores not working. I teach my kids before walking into the road you stop and look both ways.
“Dolores not working”? Maybe she retired.
Could everybody please stop posting from a phone and not bothering to proofread first? I’m tired of having to work so hard to figure out what you meant to say. This is supposed to be the responsibility of the sender, not the reader.