Georgia Injury Law Blog
New data finds a drop of 5% in the number of pedestrians killed in auto accidents in the United States last year.
The Governors Highway Safety Association recently released new data that finds a 5.4% drop in the number of pedestrians being killed in auto accidents compared to the previous year. In 2023, a total of 7,318 pedestrians were killed in car accidents.
While the news of a drop in the number of deaths is encouraging, it is too early for celebration. The fact is that pedestrian accident numbers continue to remain stubbornly high. According to Governors Highway Safety Association data, the numbers in 2022 were a 14% increase over pre- pandemic numbers. Pedestrian deaths accounted for close to 18% of all auto accident deaths in 2022. Between 2010 and 2022, there was a shocking 77% increase in pedestrian accident wrongful deaths, and the increase in overall traffic accident deaths was just 22 percent during this time.
However, it is an encouraging sign that these car accident fatality numbers are dropping year by year. Georgia also recorded a drop in the number of pedestrians killed in auto accidents last year. According to the data, there were 352 pedestrian accident fatalities in 2022. That number had dropped to 321 last year. Several recent initiatives to prevent these wrongful deaths seem to be yielding results. Across the country, states have been experimenting with improved street design, lower speeds for motor vehicles and other interventions in order to help keep pedestrians safer.
Some things, however, remain stubbornly the same. The number of pedestrians, for example, who are injured fatally in auto accidents involving large vehicles like SUVs and pick up trucks continues to remain the same. These large cars are the most dangerous for pedestrians, and their popularity is part of the reason why so many people are killed in car accidents with pickup trucks or SUVs every year. Most pedestrian accidents occur at night, and these numbers have actually been rising. The Governors Highway Safety Association says there was actually a 100% increase in the number of pedestrian accidents occurring at night over a ten-year period. In 2010, 3,030 pedestrians were killed in car accidents during the night time, and that number increased to almost 5,800 deaths in 2022. The failure by many neighborhoods to provide safe and quality infrastructure for pedestrians also contributes to auto accident fatalities with more than 66% of wrongful deaths in 2022 occurring in areas without sidewalks.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in an auto accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical costs, lost income and other forms of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.