The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has released their latest annual spotlight report, "Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2023 Preliminary Data (January-June)", that provides an indepth overview of state and national trends in pedestrian traffic fatalities for the first half of 2023. Based on preliminary data provided by State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), the GHSA projects that "drivers struck and killed 3,373 people walking in the first half of 2023 – down 4% from the year before but 14% above 2019, the last pre-pandemic year." Data analysis also found that the number of people killed while walking reached a four-decade high of more than 7,500 in 2022.
Report Highlights
The report provides an analysis of the early estimates of 2023 data by state, highlights key changes over time, and provides a brief overview of potential solutions. The authors highlight their support for solutions based on the Safe System approach, a foundational focus of the U.S. Department of Transportation National Roadway Safety Strategy.
Key findings included:
- Pedestrian fatalities increased at a pace seven times higher than population growth between the first half of 2019 and 2023.
- More reporting states (30) saw decreases than increases (pedestrian fatalities went up in 18 states), with three states’ fatality numbers remaining unchanged from the first half of the prior year.
- California, Florida and Texas accounted for 37% of all pedestrian deaths in the first six months of 2023...but only 27% of the U.S. population.
The GHSA will be publishing an additional Spotlight report later this year which will include state fatality projections for all of 2023, and proven strategies that states and communities can use to reduce pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Download the full Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2023 Preliminary Data (January - June) report here and visit the report webpage for additional resources and report infographics.