Tag Archives: safety

Spike in Pedestrian Deaths

Use Caution!

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association shows a continued rise in pedestrian injuries and deaths as a result of traffic collisions.

While total traffic deaths have increased slightly (after falling for years due to increased safety requirements for autos), pedestrian deaths have increased 25% since 2010, with the highest increase rate (11%) in 2016.

More than 700 pedestrians were killed in California in 2016.

My home state (Delaware) had the highest per capita death rate for pedestrians: 3.38 deaths per 100,000…. 🙁

One explanation offered by the report: “A more recent factor contributing to the increase in pedestrian fatalities may be the growing use of smart phones by all road users, which can be a signicant source of distraction for both drivers and pedestrians.”

You can read the full report here: http://www.ghsa.org/sites/default/files/2017-03/2017ped_FINAL_4.pdf

The story in the SF Chronhttp://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/California-No-1-in-U-S-study-showing-spike-in-11040076.php