Pedestrian fatalities have increased over the last few years, with October, November, and December seeing the highest numbers. These three months alone see 31% of pedestrian fatalities.
In Florida, 21.9% of all fatalities were pedestrians.
Pre-settlement legal funding company High Rise Legal Funding has gathered and analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s fatality analysis reporting system (FARS) to find the most dangerous time of day for pedestrians and the percentage of pedestrian fatalities in each state.
As winter draws closer, nights become longer and darker, making it more dangerous for people to be out walking. The data shows that the most fatalities occur at night, with 50.70% of pedestrians killed between 6 pm and 12 am.
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Most of these fatalities occurred on weekdays, with 57% of fatalities happening between 6 am Monday to 6 pm Friday. In contrast, 43% of fatalities occurred on the weekend, categorized by the NHTSA as 6 pm Friday to 6 am Monday. This makes the weekend more dangerous as the time period is only two and a half days.
States with the highest percentage of pedestrian fatalities
| Rank | State | No. of pedestrian fatalities | % of total fatalities |
| 1 | New Jersey | 212 | 30.3% |
| 2 | Hawaii | 25 | 26.6% |
| 3 | California | 1,108 | 25.9% |
| 4 | New York | 293 | 25.3% |
| 5 | Alaska | 16 | 23.9% |
| 6 | Maryland | 129 | 23% |
| 7 | Florida | 817 | 21.9% |
| 8 | Delaware | 29 | 21.3% |
| =9 | New Mexico | 102 | 21.2% |
| =9 | Washington | 142 | 21.2% |
In 2021, pedestrians aged between 55-69 years old made up 1,872 of the 7,388 total fatalities, with 10% of these occurring during November. Older pedestrians are more likely to die from injuries than younger pedestrians due to the aging process making bones and skin more fragile.
The data also shows that only 16% of fatalities happened at an intersection, with 75% happening elsewhere on the road. The remaining 9% of fatalities are categorized as occurring on ‘other’ roads. A report by NHTSA stated that these fatalities were caused by pedestrians dashing out into the road, giving drivers less time to react.
Since 2012, the number of pedestrian fatalities has increased by 53.34%, and there are several theories as to why this increase occurred.
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The NHTSA has mentioned that more people undertake walking journeys instead of using their cars; this means that there are more pedestrians and a higher risk of an accident. Distractions such as cell phones and other devices are also linked to pedestrian accidents. This is more common among younger pedestrians, who may be more focused on a call or social media and less attentive to their surroundings.
A spokesperson for High Rise Legal Funding commented on the findings:
“The study shows us that pedestrians are most at risk during the nighttime hours.
“Alcohol consumption is one of the largest risk factors for pedestrians, not only from drivers but also from themselves, as alcohol can impair decisions. The holiday period covering Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most dangerous times of year for pedestrians. This is due to more people traveling to visit family and friends or going out to celebrate.
“With more drivers on the road during the holiday period, there is an increased likelihood for vehicle accidents to happen, with the National Safety Council estimating that between 400-600 fatalities happen each year during holidays.
“It is essential for pedestrians and drivers to practice caution when going out at the weekend or for holidays. Reducing the length of time on or near the road will help to increase safety.”
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