NHTSA: Pedestrian fatalities rise in 2010
Washington – Pedestrian fatalities increased by 4 percent from 2009 to 2010, according to a new study (.pdf file) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. In 2010, 4,280 pedestrian fatalities occurred, compared with 4,109 in 2009.
Among other findings for 2010:
- 73 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred in urban environments.
- More than two-thirds of pedestrian fatalities occurred at night.
- Pedestrians 65 and older had the highest rate of fatalities of all age groups, 2.04 per 100,000 population.
- Males accounted for 69 percent of pedestrian fatalities, and more than twice the rate of females.
- Nearly half of pedestrian fatalities involved alcohol.
NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said in an agency press release that the results should encourage pedestrians to take precautions at crosswalks and intersections, and drivers should pay attention, especially at night.
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