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Pedestrian Deaths Drop 5% in 2023, But Concerns Remain

Pedestrian crossing sign with an arrow and solar-powered lights on a clear day with blue skies.

According to recent statistics compiled by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), pedestrian accident fatalities decreased nationwide by 5 percent last year. The statistics compare pedestrian fatalities nationwide and statewide from last year to 2022.

“My first reaction was, ‘Hallelujah; it’s really nice to be talking about fatalities going down, because we haven’t really had that conversation in a long time,” Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the GHSA, said in an interview with USA Streets Blog.

However, Adkins and others cautioned against being too optimistic about the decrease because pedestrian deaths overall remain relatively high compared to pre-pandemic levels.

‘We have a long way to go’

In 2023, there were 7,318 pedestrian fatalities nationwide, according to the most recent GHSA accident statistics. That figure is 5.4 percent less than in 2022 when 7,737 pedestrians died due to being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street or walking alongside a road.

“Fewer people dying is always good news, but I don’t want to just be a cheerleader,” Adkins said, per USA Streets Blog. “It’s just one year; we have a long way to go, and we’re still significantly higher than we were.”

Pedestrian fatalities compared to previous years

As Adkins’ comments about last year’s pedestrian death toll suggest, the numbers for 2023 remain significantly higher compared to previous years. For instance, last year’s pedestrian fatalities were still 14 percent higher compared to 2019, when there were 6,412 pedestrian deaths nationwide.

According to the USA Streets Blog report, researchers also found that people walked less overall in 2022 and 2021. So if that trend continued last year, the overall number of pedestrian deaths compared to the number of people actually out walking could be higher.

Ohio pedestrian accident statistics

Like the rest of the country, pedestrian deaths in Ohio decreased last year compared to 2022. Specifically, there were 151 pedestrian fatalities in Ohio in 2023, a decrease of 8.5 percent or 14 deaths overall compared to 2022, when there were 165 pedestrian deaths statewide, according to the most recent GHSA statistics.

But like the rest of the country, Ohio’s pedestrian fatalities remain significantly higher compared to previous years. In 2019, for example, there were 128 pedestrian deaths statewide. So even though Ohio pedestrian fatalities decreased last year, they’re still 17.9 percent higher compared to 2019.

Common factors in pedestrian accidents

Safety advocates recently identified several common causes and contributing factors in pedestrian accidents, including:

  • Light trucks (meaning pick-up trucks and SUVs) have increasingly caused more fatal pedestrian accidents than other drivers since 2019.
  • Poor lighting, especially at night, when pedestrian accidents have become more common every year since 2010.
  • Poor road design, often including wider streets, forces pedestrians to cross long distances and puts them at greater risk.
  • Speeding drivers who go too fast and don’t have time to slow down to avoid hitting a pedestrian.

Safe driving tips to share the road

There are many things drivers can and should do to keep pedestrians safe on the road, including:

  • Slow down when approaching an intersection or crosswalk. This allows drivers to have time to avoid hitting a pedestrian.
  • Make sure a vehicle’s headlights are turned on, especially at dusk as it gets dark. Pedestrians can be hard to see, especially late in the day or early in the morning.
  • Drivers should be focused on driving at all times. That means no texting while driving or doing anything else that could distract them and result in an accident.

Hit by a car and injured? Contact a Cleveland pedestrian accident attorney

Claims involving pedestrian accidents often turn into complicated legal cases. If you’re not careful, you could lose out on the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related expenses.

Our Cleveland pedestrian accident lawyers at Merriman Legal, LLC, know what’s at stake. That’s because we have years of experience handling complex claims.

For instance, one high-profile pedestrian accident case we handled involved a 63-year-old woman who was hit by a driver who went the wrong way on a road. Our law firm successfully fought for her rights in that important case.

Discover what we can do for you. Contact us and make our team your team. Schedule a free case evaluation with a Cleveland pedestrian accident attorney who puts your best interests first. We’re conveniently located on West 9th Street in Cleveland and handle injury claims throughout Ohio.

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