Why Are More Pedestrians Dying in Car Accidents?
Despite the drop in traffic congestion during the pandemic, pedestrian death rates increased. It’s a puzzle for statistics to solve.
Written by Andrew Koole
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Last year saw more pedestrians killed in
car accidents
than any year since 1982. An average of 20 walking or cycling Americans were killed by moving cars every day in 2021. That’s an alarming figure, especially within the context of the
COVID-19 pandemic
, which caused a dramatic drop in traffic congestion.Why are so many pedestrians being killed? Well, while there are many outlying conditions that could’ve factored into the problem, much of it can be linked to another traffic-related issue that increased during the pandemic—speeding.
The numbers don’t look good for pedestrians
Any warm-blooded person would be concerned by the rising rate of pedestrian fatalities, but a closer look at the data reveals an even more tragic situation.
Autoblog
sited a recent report by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which says that speeding-related deaths of pedestrians aged 15 or younger has more than doubled since 2018. The report doesn’t give specifics on why, but surmises that remote learning could’ve caused more children to be outside and away from traffic-controlled areas like playgrounds and schools.
The increase in fatalities hit specific regions particularly hard. Texas and Florida saw the biggest increases, with 111 and 183-person spikes in fatalities, respectively. In terms of pedestrian fatality rate, New Mexico’s was the worst in the country, rising 24% to 4.77 per 100,000.
MORE: Outdated Vehicles Increase the Risk of Crash Fatalities in Older Drivers
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Speed was the leading—but not the only—factor in pedestrian-killing car accidents
Speeding-related deaths were also on the rise during the pandemic, and many have drawn a link between the two concerning stats and suggested the one caused the other. But other forces were at play, too.
Besides the problems of impaired and
distracted driving
, the growing size of vehicles and the growning number of trucks and SUVs on the road, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS). Accidents involving these types of vehicles are more likely to result in fatalities than smaller vehicles. For pedestrians, the risk rises even higher. The GSHA’s report says that in the last decade, pedestrian deaths caused by SUVS grew by 36%.
Avoiding car accidents
Car accidents might seem out of our control, but there’s actually a lot you can do to lower your chances of having one.
Obeying traffic laws (especially speed limits) is the most obvious way to keep you and your community safe while driving, but the list of tips doesn’t end there.
Defensive driving techniques, planning ahead, and removing distractions can all go a long way to helping you avoid car crashes. It’s also wise to choose a car with good visibility so you can keep the people in and out of your vehicle safe.
Coverage for the worst-case-scenario
MORE: Have Work Commutes Returned to Pre-Pandemic Norms?
Nobody wants to get into a car accident, but even if you follow all the rules and advice to avoid them, it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk. It’s why
car insurance
is mandatory in almost all of the U.S. If you want to save money on car insurance, the Jerry app is a good place to start. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.
And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price.
This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.
4.7
.jpg&w=64&q=75){kind=avatar}
