On May 2024, Smart Growth America released their Dangerous by Design 2024 report, revealing worrying downward trends in the lack of prioritizing pedestrian safety. The report compares the latest federal data in traffic fatalities from 2018 to 2022 to analyze which metropolitan cities, income groups, and racial groups have the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities. Streets in the United States are "dangerous by design" and grow more deadly by the year, Smart Growth America asserts, because they prioritize moving cars quickly at the expense of those who walk, bike, and roll.
Report Highlights
2022 marked an "astonishing" 40-year high in national pedestrian deaths and a 75% increase in these fatalities since 2010, with 7,522 people in the United States struck and killed while walking that year.
The report overview puts this number into perspective: "Those 7,522 deaths are roughly the equivalent of the population of a small town like Buena Vista, Colorado, the student population of Gonzaga University, or more than three Boeing 737s full of people falling from the sky every month for a year."
Bar graph displaying the number of U.S. pedestrian deaths annually from 2010 to 2022, with 4,302 deaths in 2010 that steadily rise to 7,522 deaths in 2022. This represents a 75 percent increase from 2010 to 2022. (Photo credit: Smart Growth America)
These deaths do not happen in isolation — the likelihood of a pedestrian being fatally hit is strongly influenced by demographic factors such as age, household income, race, and ethnicity. The report analyzes pedestrian fatalities by these factors and finds that people between the ages of 50 to 64 are most likely to be killed as pedestrians, with 2.89 fatalities per 100,000 people in the age range compared to the average population fatality rate of 2.06.
This creates a cascading effect of negative consequences, where older adults face limited mobility options when they are unable to drive and there is unsafe pedestrian infrastructure, thus increasing the likelihood of social isolation and disconnection.
Bar graph displaying the rate of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people within the age brackets of 0 to 19, 20 to 49, 50 to 64, 65 to 74, and 75 years and older. People between the ages of 50 to 64 have the highest rates of pedestrian deaths at 2.89 people, followed by people 75 years and older at 2.79 people. (Photo credit: Smart Growth America)
People from lower-income areas are also disproportionately affected by pedestrian deaths — the lower the income bracket, the higher the rate of pedestrian deaths. From 2018 to 2022, people in areas whose median household income is $15,000 or less had over twice the amount of pedestrian deaths than the average population rate.
Census tracts with annual incomes from $15,000 to $25,000 had quadruple the amount of pedestrian deaths of areas with incomes over $100,000, and 30% of all pedestrian deaths occur in areas with incomes below $50,000 despite only consisting of 17% of the population.
Bar graph displaying the number of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people by household income from 2018 to 2022. Areas whose median household income is $15,000 or lower have the highest rate of pedestrian deaths at 5.23, compared to the general population average at 2.06. (Photo credit: Smart Growth America)
People of color face more danger as pedestrians, with Native Americans and Alaska Natives having the highest rates of documented pedestrian deaths out of all racial or ethnic groups in the United States, despite historical underreporting of the Indigenous population through the Census. This racial disparity extends to injuries as well, where Black people have nearly twice the amount of emergency visits for walking-related injuries to the rest of the population.
Infographic displaying the number of pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people by race and ethnicity from 2018 to 2022, with Asian and Pacific-Islander at 0.99 people, White and Non-Hispanic at 1.59 people, Hispanic/Latinx at 2.01 people, Black or African American at 3.40 people, and American Indian/Alaska Native at 6.81 people. (Photo credit: Smart Growth America)
Metropolitan and urban areas in the United States have grown more dangerous in the past decade, even when factoring in population growth. From 2018 to 2022, the number of pedestrians killed in the largest 101 metros increased by nearly 20%, despite having only a 2.8% increase in population. 2009 saw eight metro areas with a pedestrian fatality rate of over 2.0 per 100,000 people, while the number increased exponentially to 48 metro areas in 2022.
The report also ranks the top 20 most deadly metro areas for pedestrians, including five in California. They rank as follows:
4. Bakersfield
7. Fresno
12. Riverside-San Bernardino
19. Stockton
20. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
Infographic map of the United States displays the top 20 deadliest metropolitan areas for pedestrians in the United States, with number 1 being the deadliest. Out of the five ranked areas in California, Bakersfield is ranked at 4, Fresno at 7, Riverside-San Bernardino at 12, Stockton at 19, and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom at 20. (Photo credit: Smart Growth America)
Want to learn more?
The full report provides a summary of findings, recommendations for federal and state agencies and elected officials, and practical steps that cities, towns, and residents can take to prioritize street safety for all.
A webinar recording is also available from the Maryland Department of Planning, where members of the Smart Growth America project team and a guest speaker discuss the findings of the 2024 report.