U.S. roads are highly dangerous places, with 40,901 motor vehicle fatalities in 2023, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Yet, as well as vehicle drivers and occupants, pedestrians are also at enormous risk of injury and death.
Of those 40,901 fatalities, 7,314 were pedestrians – 18% of the overall total. 67,850 pedestrians were also injured by motor vehicle accidents, a figure that comprises 2.9% of the 2.42 million total.
This study will consider which pedestrians are most at risk across the country, and pinpoint when they’re most likely to suffer an accident or fatality, plus the role of alcohol in the pedestrian fatality equation. Before we get into those details, let’s look at the states that represent the greatest risk to pedestrians in the U.S.
Pedestrian Deaths In America: Key Statistics
The Ten Worst States For Pedestrian Fatalities
While all states feature dangerous roads, some states represent a particular risk for pedestrians. Here are the ten worst.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, based on 2023 pedestrian fatality data, the nation’s most populous states, California (1,104), Texas (800), and Florida (751) featured the highest number of deaths.
More of a surprise, however, is the fact that several Southern states like Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee also rank in the top 10. This suggests that regional pedestrian safety issues – urban sprawl, high-speed roads, and limited pedestrian infrastructure – are significant factors.
Notably, less-populated states such as Arizona and South Carolina appear high on the list. This suggests that, per capita, they’re likely to be extremely dangerous for pedestrians.
And, conversely, New York’s relatively low fatality count, despite a huge pedestrian population, may reflect stronger infrastructure, better uptake of public transport, and reduced vehicle speeds in urban areas.
Overall, the data underscores the need for targeted investments regarding safer crosswalks, improved pedestrian lighting, more effective traffic enforcement, and more pedestrian focus when it comes to city planning. This is especially the case for car-dependent states suffering disproportionately high fatality numbers.
Pedestrian Deaths Measured By Population Percentage
When we measure pedestrian safety, raw fatality numbers are only part of the equation. Per capita data reveals another level of pedestrian fatality danger.
Using this measurement, in 2023, New Mexico was by a significant margin the worst state for pedestrian safety, with a staggering 4.93 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents.
Making up the rest of the top five were Arizona (3.57), South Carolina (3.41), Florida (3.21), and Nevada (3.18). These five states alone highlight a troubling trend in the South and Southwest, where a mix of car-centric infrastructure, high-speed roads, and limited foot-traffic protection create deadly conditions for pedestrians.
California, ranked worst for overall pedestrian deaths, also ranks highly when judged per capita, proving that the state’s problems are not just a matter of population size but also feature other factors, including inadequate street design and a lack of pedestrian safety focus. Ultimately, states such as California are not just seeing more deaths—they’re seeing disproportionate risk relative to their population.
Such data reinforces the urgent need for state-level pedestrian safety reform, which could include lower speed limits, better lighting, more crosswalks, and ramped-up driver awareness initiatives.
By using per capita pedestrian death figures to tighten focus, campaigns can more accurately spotlight struggling communities and push for change where pedestrians need it most.
Seasonal Disparities In Pedestrian Death Statistics
While it might be fair to assume that most pedestrian fatalities occur during warmer periods, the opposite is true. Pedestrian fatalities spike in fall and early winter months, with the period running from October to the end of December accounting for nearly 30% of all pedestrian deaths in 2023.
While winter conditions like poor visibility and earlier nightfall contribute to elevated risk right through to the end of February, late fall consistently proves to be the deadliest period for pedestrians.
Here are 2023’s pedestrian fatality numbers, month by month. As the figures show, more clement weather does not lead to higher pedestrian fatalities.
- January 659
- February 605
- March 575
- April 516
- May 503
- June 490
- July 538
- August 596
- September 646
- October 712
- November 733
- December 741
In terms of the periods of highest pedestrian danger, the holiday season, increased traffic, and more nighttime activity (in less visible, more precarious conditions) all play a role.
This trend highlights the urgent need for improved pedestrian lighting and targeted awareness campaigns during darker months, plus things like crosswalk safety initiatives as winter approaches, when pedestrians are most at risk. And when it comes to pedestrian fatalities, men are much more at risk than women.
Pedestrian Deaths By Gender
Male pedestrians face a significantly higher risk of fatality when it comes to motor vehicle crashes, accounting for over 70% of all pedestrian deaths in 2023.
Of 7,284 pedestrian fatalities, 5,148 were male, compared to 2,126 female fatalities. (Gender-specific data accounts for 7,284 of the 7,314 total pedestrian fatalities reported in 2023; 30 unaccounted fatalities were either not yet classified or were excluded.)
This disproportionate impact is in no way unique to 2023 and reflects broader trends in traffic safety research. Study data tells us that men are far more likely to indulge risky behaviors, such as walking in hazardous environments or during comparatively dangerous late-night or early-morning hours.
With this data in mind, it’s clear that any pedestrian safety campaigns or infrastructure improvements must necessarily incorporate gendered risk factors. Education, mainly skewed towards young male pedestrians, better enforcement of speed and impairment laws, better lighting in high-traffic corridors, and community-specific outreach would all likely improve pedestrian fatality numbers.
By acknowledging who is most at risk, states and cities can tailor smarter, more effective strategies to protect pedestrians, especially those most vulnerable, including the age groups most likely to be involved in a car accident.
Pedestrian Deaths By Age
A breakdown of 2023’s pedestrian fatality age groups reveals that middle- and working-age adults are most at risk. People between 25 and 64 years old accounted for 4,904 of the 7,314 total deaths, which is over two-thirds (67%) of all pedestrian fatalities.
The highest death toll was among those aged 35–44 (1,328 deaths), followed closely by pedestrians aged 55–64 (1,273), and 25–34 (1,199). These findings show that the pedestrians most at risk are not vulnerable demographics like children or seniors, but busy people amid their daily routines: commuting, running errands, or negotiating urban spaces on foot.
While adults aged 65+ made up a comparatively small portion of fatalities (21%), their increased physical vulnerability means their injuries are usually more severe and often fatal.
On the other hand, children under 16 and teens (16–20) collectively represented only 6% of fatalities, reflecting increased supervision, shorter independent walking distances, and school protection zones.
This data underscores the need for age-related safety strategies. Infrastructure improvements like better crosswalk visibility, pedestrian refuges, and traffic-calming measures must prioritize high-foot-traffic areas frequented by adults.
Additionally, public safety campaigns and policy efforts must refrain from the assumption that only children or seniors are vulnerable: adults in the prime of their working lives are, statistically, at a much higher risk of being struck and killed by a car while walking.
The Alcohol Impairment Factor
When it comes to pedestrian fatalities, the conversation around alcohol impairment usually focuses on drivers, but the data tells a more nuanced story.
In 2023, 28.8% of pedestrians killed in crashes were legally intoxicated (they had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level above 0.08): only 17% of drivers involved in those same incidents were also above the legal limit. This surprising reversal challenges the routine notion that drunk driving is the only threat on the road. The reality is that a significant proportion of pedestrians are legally drunk when they’re fatally hit by a car.
This statistic emphasizes a critical, often overlooked fact: drunk walking can be deadly. Whether crossing mid-block, walking at night without visibility aids, or navigating poorly lit roads, inebriated pedestrians are at a much higher risk of making risky decisions or not being seen by drivers.
Campaigns focused solely on the prevention of drunk driving miss a key part of the equation, which is the need to address pedestrian behavior, road visibility, and the dangers of walking while intoxicated.
Public awareness efforts, urban safety measures, and alcohol safety messaging must evolve to include drunk drivers and pedestrians.
How to Improve Worrying Pedestrian Fatality Statistics
In 2023 in the U.S., 7,314 of 40,901 motor vehicle fatalities were pedestrians – 18% of the national total. And 67,850 pedestrian injuries represented 2.9% of all motor vehicle crash-related injuries.
While the raw numbers were highest in the most populous states, California (1,104 deaths), Texas (800), and Florida (751), a closer look at per capita pedestrian fatalities paints a more complicated and alarming picture.
New Mexico led the nation on pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents (4.93), followed by Arizona, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada. These states (most in the South and Southwest) share common risk factors such as high-speed roadways, limited pedestrian infrastructure, and urban sprawl that endangers pedestrians.
Seasonal trends further reveal that pedestrian deaths, rather than peaking in the summer months (as is the case with general motor vehicle fatalities), do so in the fall and early winter. Nearly 30% of all recorded pedestrian fatalities occurred between October and December, a time marked by shorter daylight hours, increased evening activity, and heavy holiday traffic.
This highlights the need to improve roadside lighting, deliver impactful visibility campaigns, and enhance crosswalk safety before the winter months arrive.
The data also underscores demographic disparities. Male pedestrians accounted for over 70% of all pedestrian deaths; adults aged 25 to 64 represented 67% of the total, with the highest fatality rates in the 35 to 44 and 55 to 64 age groups.
Contrary to popular belief, children and seniors were not the most at-risk groups; adults in the prime of their working and commuting years were the most vulnerable pedestrians. This emphasizes the need for age-informed and gender-aware safety strategies, particularly in high-traffic, car-dependent areas.
The reality is that a significant proportion of pedestrians are legally drunk when they’re fatally hit by a car.
Perhaps most striking of all is alcohol’s key role regarding pedestrian fatalities. With campaigns often focused on drunk driving, the data actually shows us that 28.8% of pedestrians were legally intoxicated when fatally hit by a car, with only 17% of drivers involved in those same crashes over the legal limit.
This unexpected trend reveals a critical gap in safety messaging: Drunk walking can be just as deadly as drunk driving. Whether it’s due to a higher risk threshold and compromised decision-making, reduced coordination, or low night visibility, intoxicated pedestrians are subject to significantly elevated risk.
If the current pedestrian death-rate trajectory holds, that could mean over 75,000 pedestrian injuries annually by 2030, as well as rising fatalities. That’s a growing toll not only on individuals, but also on communities and already stretched healthcare systems.
Overall, the data paints a clear and urgent picture. Pedestrian fatalities are not only rising, but disproportionately impacting specific states and seasons, with men and certain age groups also at comparatively much higher risk.
To reverse this trend, cities and states must invest in effective pedestrian safety reforms, including slower speed limits, better street lighting, visible crossings, and public awareness campaigns that address both driver and pedestrian behavior. Only by acknowledging the nuanced risks faced by different communities at different times of the year can we design the safe, pedestrian-focused streets that all modern cities need.
At Siegfried & Jensen, we help the people of Utah and surrounding states who have suffered needless injuries and death caused by car and truck accidents.
When you hire us, we’ll handle all the phone calls, paperwork, investigations, legal work, and negotiations that need to be done. Get in touch today to get started!