What data tells us
- Most weekday pedestrian deaths occur
between 4 p.m. and midnight, but most
weekend pedestrian fatalities occur between
8 p.m. and 4 a.m. (Traffic Safety Facts,
Pedestrians, 2011 Data,
Download PDF - More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2011 were males. Male injury rates were higher than females' (24 versus 20 per 100,000 population).
- Almost 1 in 5 (21%) of the children 10 to 15 years old killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians, and almost 1 in 5 (19%) of those 65 and older were pedestrians. More than half (62%) of all pedestrian fatalities were adults 21 to 64.
- Most pedestrian deaths occur in urban environments (73%) rather than rural, at non-intersection locations (70%) rather than intersections or other configurations, and during the night (70%). One in 5 (19%) pedestrian fatalities were hit-and-run.
- Pedestrian fatality rates range from a high of 19.7 to a low of 0.51 per 100,000 population in cities across America. Big cities usually have the most pedestrian deaths, but the cities with the 5 highest rates have populations between 90,000 and 212,000 (Source: NHTSA FARS 2011 data).
- More than a third (37%) of pedestrians killed in 2011 had BACs of .08 g/dL or higher, the illegal alcohol limit for drivers in all States, and 1 in 8 (13%) of the drivers in pedestrian fatality crashes had BACs of .08 or higher.
- A NHTSA telephone survey found that 6% of pedestrians said they felt threatened for their personal safety on the most recent day they walked and of these, 3 in 5 (62%) cited motorists as the top reason. (National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior, Download PDF
It takes a community
- To encourage drivers to yield the right-ofway to pedestrians, Gainesville, Florida implemented a high-visibility enforcement program in 2010 and 2011. (The Effects of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance to Pedestrian Yield Right-ofway Laws, Download PDF
- The city refreshed pedestrian advance crossing markings at 12 test crosswalk sites. The Gainesville Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Alachua Sheriff's Department ran four waves of enforcement over the course of one year. During the first wave in February, officers gave only warnings and handed out flyers explaining Florida's law, proper yielding behavior of drivers, and proper crossing behavior of pedestrians. Officers asked drivers to be good role models.
- During the last 9 months of the program, feedback signs along high-traffic roads showed the yielding percentage for the past week and the record to date.
- During the last 9 months of the program,
feedback signs along high-traffic roads
showed the yielding percentage for the past week and the record to date. - There was a slow and steady increase in drivers yielding the right-of-way to pedestrians. It began when officers issued warnings and handed out flyers, increased when officers issued citations, and then increased again when Gainesville added paid ads, in-street signs, and feedback signs to the enforcement program. Yielding also increased in nearby comparison sites that were not part of the enforcement effort.
- Gainesville included engineering, enforcement, education, media, and broad community participation in its program.
Gainesville feedback sign
Gainesville in-street pedestrian sign
