From behind the wheel, cars and trucks today are safer than ever before. However, for people on the street, vehicles haven’t been this dangerous in over a generation.
A new report for the Governor’s Highway Safety Association shows the number of pedestrian deaths jumped 77% since 2010.
The data shows for every 100,000 people in Florida, three to four pedestrians died in a crash in 2022. The only states that saw more deaths by population were New Mexico and Arizona.
In all, 7,500 pedestrians were killed last year. That’s the highest it’s been since 1981.
This comes after decades of seeing a decline in the number of pedestrians killed by drivers.
Researchers believe this is a result of more people speeding and a lack of sidewalks.
Most pedestrian deaths happened after dark and on roads where there were no sidewalks.
Researchers believe more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure would help lower the number of pedestrian deaths in the future.
To see the report, click here.