At some point in the day, everyone is a pedestrian. Whether you walk your child to school or walk from your vehicle’s parking lot to the office, each of us walks where vehicles travel.
Unfortunately, in 2022 there were 7,522 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes, a 0.7-percent increase from the 7,470 pedestrian fatalities in 2021. It is the highest since 1981 when 7,837 pedestrians died in traffic crashes. In 2022 there were an estimated 67,336 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes, an 11-percent increase from 60,579 pedestrians injured in 2021.
On average, a pedestrian was killed every 70 minutes and injured every 8 minutes in traffic crashes in 2022. In fact, pedestrian deaths accounted for 18% of all traffic fatalities and 3% of all people injured in traffic crashes in 2022.
In West Virginia, in 2022, 21 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes, accounting for nearly 8% of all traffic crash fatalities that year. This was a decrease from 2021, when 36 pedestrians were killed, accounting for 12.8% of traffic crash fatalities.
The personal, physical, and environmental benefits of walking can lead to safer, healthier, and cleaner streets. Walking can also improve local economies and enhance social and community engagement, which can lead to more vibrant, resilient, and livable spaces.
“Walking is one of the best things you can do for both your mental and physical health, and also for the environment,” said Jack McNeely, GHSP Director. “We want to help ensure that our pedestrians are safe on the sidewalks, crossing the street — anywhere that people walk, bike, or roll they should be able to do so without fear or stress. We urge drivers to take the time to look out for pedestrians, slow down, and incorporate pedestrian awareness into their driving routines.”
For many West Virginians, Halloween is the highlight of October. Drivers should be aware that on Halloween evening, there will likely be more pedestrians on the roads and in unexpected places. Families will be trick-or-treating with smaller children who may be unaware of surrounding traffic and quick to dart into the street. Remember: Slower speeds save lives. The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to encourage local communities to schedule safety events and corresponding messages about the importance of safe road use when driving around pedestrians.
Everyone shares in the responsibility for road safety. NHTSA urges communities to adopt the Safe System Approach, which is a comprehensive plan that helps prevent crashes from happening and minimizes the injury to those involved in crashes that do occur. Ultimately, it’s about making communities safer for everyone. The plan has five objectives:
• Safer People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use roads, and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.
• Safer Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, equitable, context-appropriate roadway design, appropriate speed-limit setting, targeted education, outreach campaigns, and enforcement.
• Safer Roads: Design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes and account for injury tolerances, to encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users.
• Safer Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle technology that helps to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants.
• Post-Crash Care: Enhance the survivability of people in crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care. Create a safer working environment for first responders and prevent crashes through traffic incident management practices.
For more information about pedestrian safety, please visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/pedestrian-safety.
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov, or call 304-926-2509.