Pedestrian deaths declining since COVID-19 pandemic, report finds
Pedestrians and cars move through midtown Manhattan traffic on June 06, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Pedestrian traffic deaths have fallen for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The association released a report on Wednesday, finding that 29 states had fewer pedestrian deaths compared to last year. Twenty-one states, including Washington, D.C., had more.
The report showed that pedestrian deaths have been rising since 2019 but decreased for the first time between 2022 and 2023 from 7,700 to 7,300 deaths, a 5.4% decrease.
The associated believes states have adopted new measures to prevent deaths such as educational campaigns and enacting more traffic safety laws.
Researchers found that many deaths have occurred at night, where there aren’t sidewalks, and by SUVs and pickups. They also believe the drop in traffic enforcement since 2020 contributed to the previous rising trend.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.