Pedestrian Safety Quick Facts
Deaths and Injuries
- In the United States, 4,641 pedestrians died from traffic-related injuries in 2004, and another 68,000 sustained nonfatal injuries. Nearly one-fifth of the traffic fatalities among children ages 5-9 years were sustained by pedestrians (NHTSA 2005).
- Pedestrian injury is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 5 to 14, claiming the lives of 669 children in 2001.
- In 2002, nearly 43,300 children were treated in emergency rooms for pedestrian-related injuries.
How Injuries Occur
- Motor vehicle crashes account for approximately 80 percent of all childhood pedestrian deaths. In 1998-2000, vehicles on Charlotte streets struck more than 800 pedestrians. Of those accidents, 90 percent resulted in injuries and 39 pedestrians died.
Who Is at Risk
- Children are at increased risk for pedestrian injuries for several reasons:
- Their smaller size makes them difficult for drivers to see, especially if they are standing between parked cars on the side of the road.
- Young children are often unable to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately, so they can easily misjudge whether it is safe to cross a street.
- Parents can overestimate their child’s ability to cross the street. Many elementary school-age children don’t understand traffic signals or how to anticipate a driver’s actions.
- Drivers and child pedestrians each assume (incorrectly) that the other will yield the right-of-way.
Health Care Costs and Savings
- The total annual cost of traffic-related pedestrian death and injury among children ages 14 and under is more than 7.2 billion
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