Americans Love Their Cars and Trucks. Pedestrians Not So Much.
The number of pedestrians killed by vehicles is sharply up for many reasons, mainly because we are driving more, in bigger vehicles, faster. We value ease of getting from one place to another over the lives of those who are getting from one place to another on foot. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC seeks compensation for pedestrians injured in vehicle accidents and the family members of those killed in these preventable crashes.
If you are injured in a pedestrian accident or a family member is killed in one, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers in Louisville can stand up for your legal rights. We have extensive experience pursuing pedestrian accident claims and litigation for clients throughout Kentucky. Call us at 855-385-9532 today to learn more.
The Number of US Pedestrian Deaths Increases by 70% From 2010 to 2023
That’s the conclusion by the Washington Post, after reviewing federal data and other public records. There were 4,302 such deaths in 2010 and 7,314 in 2023. They primarily occurred on streets with the following characteristics:
- Multiple lanes
- Vehicles traveling above the speed limit
- Cutting through economically distressed neighborhoods
- That have failing commercial strips
America’s lower-income residents are bearing the brunt of this vehicle-powered carnage. Not only are they the ones more likely to walk on the country’s streets, but they also don’t have the political clout of wealthier Americans, who demand ease of car travel and businesses that want their customers to travel to their businesses easily.
Those crossing streets are often elderly or have physical disabilities, which makes crossing more difficult and takes longer. Crosswalks may be few and far between, so jaywalking is a fact of life if you want to get around. Streets that are dangerous in the best of circumstances become more deadly at night or when visibility is more limited.
We like to think we lead the world, but in this category, we should prefer to fall behind. While our pedestrian deaths shoot upward, in other developed nations, they’ve declined almost 30 percent.
The US locations with at least three recent pedestrian deaths within a mile of one another tripled from more than 275 in 2010 to more than 825 in 2023. These areas increased primarily in the southern half of the country, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Arizona.
Kentucky isn’t immune to this problem. According to the State Police, in 2024, vehicle crashes involving pedestrians accounted for only 0.95% of all such accidents but resulted in 13.8% (or 97) of all vehicle accident deaths. Only 61 people were killed in Kentucky vehicle-pedestrian accidents in 2010, reports the State Police, or about 45% fewer deaths than last year.
One factor in the fatality increase is that fewer pedestrians are surviving being struck by vehicles. More than 3,800 people nationally were nearly killed immediately when they were hit in 2023. This is evidence that there are more, larger vehicles going at higher speeds, causing more violent collisions, resulting in more fatal injuries. The rate at which pedestrians are being declared dead at accident scenes has more than doubled from 2010 to 2023.
Government Sees Better Traffic Flow as More Important Than Saving Lives
State and city agencies are slow to spend on improvements, such as creating more, safer places to cross dangerous streets or increasing speed limit enforcement. A priority is preventing traffic jams, not addressing pedestrians’ safety concerns.
In the past, the federal government urged communities to improve pedestrian safety and provided money for solutions. The Biden administration provided some financial backing to increase safety, but the Transportation Department under President Donald Trump wants some of that money back.
In September, a federal official told Boston’s transportation agency the administrationwas taking funds for a project it considered “hostile to motor vehicles.” The agency told the Post the prior administration “de-prioritized the needs of American drivers and increased congestion risks.”
Memphis is Ground Zero for the Country’s Pedestrian Deaths
Memphis’s streets are the deadliest for pedestrians in the country’s larger cities, according to the Post analysis. Its fatality rate increased more than four times from 2010 to 2023. Not including its suburbs, pedestrian deaths in the city peaked at 82 in 2022, decreased to 57 in 2023, and fell to 47 last year. Forty-two are expected this year. City officials claim the decline shows their efforts to redesign streets are making them safer.
A one-and-a-half-mile stretch of the city’s Jackson Avenue, seven miles from the city’s heart, is disproportionately lethal for pedestrians.Vehicles speed past corner stores, apartments, restaurants, and gas stations.
The data shows that these roads’ design is closely linked to the number of pedestrians killed. Vehicles on streets with three or more lanes are far more dangerous because they enable higher speeds, which make crashes into pedestrians more deadly.
For those living in the area, and others like it across the US, walking is a necessity. On average, nearly 20% of households in nearby neighborhoodslack access to a vehicle, more than twice the rate in other communities.
Outdated Designs Put Pedestrians at Risk
The most dangerous areas are not in congested downtowns but in less-dense neighborhoods toward cities’ edges. Those roads were built decades ago to link towns before interstate highways were constructed. Businesses and residences emerged around them, and people walk beside and across them to fast-food restaurants, liquor stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, and more.
Traffic signals with crosswalks may be a mile apart. Pedestrians must decide whether to cross a street more safely, but at a greater distance, or take their chances walking across a dangerous street at a more convenient location.
Get a FREE Consultation with a Louisville Pedestrian Accident Attorney
If you’re injured as a pedestrian in a vehicle accident, or a family member is killed in one, not just the driver may be at fault. The government entity responsible for the road may be negligent if it knew the road was dangerous but failed to take steps that could’ve prevented your injuries or the death of your loved one.
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys can handle all aspects of your pedestrian injury or wrongful claim so you can focus on recovery. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our lawyers.