New analysis indicates drivers struck and killed 3,304 pedestrians in the United States in the first half of 2024, down 2.6 percent from the year before but up nearly 50 percent from 2014, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

Though pedestrian deaths during the first six months of 2024 fell slightly from the year before, they were 12 percent higher than 2019 and up 48 percent since 2014.

Over the last decade, pedestrian deaths have risen at a pace nearly seven times higher than U.S. population growth (7 percent), the analysis showed.

A steep drop in traffic enforcement nationwide since 2020 and roads designed to prioritize fast-moving vehicle traffic have contributed to the increase.

Many communities lack infrastructure – such as sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting – that help protect pedestrians, the report added.

Lastly, vehicles in the US are dominated by larger, heavier vehicles more likely to injure or kill pedestrians.

“Every day, 18 people don’t return home after taking a walk. That’s unacceptable,” said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins. “While recent incremental progress is welcome, it doesn’t disguise the fact that the numbers moved in the wrong direction over the past decade. The only acceptable number of traffic deaths is zero. We must continue to push for an all-in safety approach that protects people on foot from the dangerous behaviors that are all too common on our roads. By encouraging drivers and pedestrians to implement safe practices, supporting the enforcement of traffic laws and implementing infrastructure improvements, we can turn the tide on pedestrian fatalities.”

The decline in pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2024 mirrors the recent trend in overall traffic fatalities.

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Total roadway deaths fell 3.2 percent during the first six months of last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But overall traffic fatalities are still higher than what they were five and ten years ago.

The 18,720 roadway deaths in the first half of 2024 are up 10 percent from the 17,025 reported during the same period in 2019 and up 25 percent from 15,035 in 2014.

Data indicates that pedestrian fatalities decreased in 22 states.

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) experienced increases, while the numbers were unchanged in five states.

Seven states reported two consecutive decreases in pedestrian fatalities for the first half of the year, while four have experienced two straight increases.

To help address the issue, GHSA supports a holistic solution that encompasses traffic enforcement focused on dangerous driving behaviors – like speeding, and impaired or distracted driving.

GHSA will publish a second, comprehensive Spotlight report later this year that will include state pedestrian fatality projections for all of 2024, an analysis of 2023 data from NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and an overview of proven strategies states and communities are employing to help prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities.