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October is Pedestrian Safety

10/20/2025

FACTS

  • 7,314 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2023, a 4% decrease from the 7,593 pedestrian fatalities in 2022.
  • 68,244 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes in 2023, a 1% increase from 67,341 pedestrians injured in 2022.
  • On average, a pedestrian died every 72 minutes and one was injured every 8 minutes in traffic crashes in 2023.
  • 18% of all traffic deaths in 2023 were pedestrians, and 3% of all people injured in traffic crashes were pedestrians.
  • 17% of the children 14 and younder killed in traffic crashes in 2023 were pedestrians.
  • 70% of the pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2023 were males.
  • Alcohol use was reported in 46% of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023, with a blood alcohol concentration of .01 for the driver and/or the pedestrian.
  • In 2023, urban areas had a pedestrian fatality rate much higher (84%) than rural  areas (16%).
  • 74% of the pedestrian fatalities occurred at locations that were not intersections, 17% occurred at intersections, and the remaining 9% occurred at intersections, and the remaining 9% occurred at other locations in 2023.
  • More pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark (77%) than in daylight (19%), dusk (2%), and dawn (2%) in 2023.
  • 89% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in single-vehicle crashes in 2023.
  • 1 out of every 4 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2023 (24%) was struck by a hit-and-run driver.

*This post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional advice.*

*Information provided by: NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis*