Key points
- In the United States, the number of people killed by motor vehicles while walking has increased in recent years.
- Individuals and communities can help keep pedestrians safe in many ways.
Overview
In 2021, 7,388 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States. That's 20 pedestrians a day. The number of deaths in 2021 increased by 12.5% from 2020.
No matter your preferred choice for transportation, almost everyone walks, wheelchair rolls, or rides a bicycle at some point during a week. This includes walking or rolling to your car or a bus stop (active transportation). People walk or roll by choice or necessity.
Everyone has a role in keeping pedestrians safe. Below are some ways to support safety in everyday travel.
When you're driving
- Always watch for people walking and rolling—they are road users, too.
- Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions like nighttime, bad weather, or traffic backups.
- Slow down and be prepared to stop when approaching a crosswalk.
- Yield to people in crosswalks.
- Don't pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. You could strike someone you don't see.
- When turning right, look left and right to check for pedestrians who may be crossing.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
- Avoid distractions, such as texting, while driving.
- Stay within the speed limit. Slower speeds save lives.
When you're not driving
Embrace walking and rolling as a healthy form of active transportation! Use these safety precautions:
- Improve your visibility by wearing bright and reflective clothing.
- Use lights when it's dark.
- In places with poorly maintained or no sidewalks, walk or roll facing traffic.
- Choose low-speed, low-traffic roads.
When you're engaging your community
Participate in local programming such as Safe Routes to School Programs. Being in groups can improve safety.
Lead or participate in a community walk audit to help show the need for spaces encouraging walking and rolling.
Educate leaders in your area about the value of communities where it's easy, convenient, and accessible to walk or roll. This can include education on street designs that slow down vehicles.
Organize members of your community to improve places for walking or rolling. This can be done by fixing sidewalks, adding lighting, and slowing traffic to make streets accessible for all people, including children, older adults, and people with disabilities.
Learn how people in your profession or those who share your interests can promote physical activity. Read success stories, access resources, and find ways to collaborate with other organizations and sectors.
Support Active People, Healthy NationSM, CDC's national physical activity initiative that aims to get 27 million Americans more physically active by 2027.
Safe System Approach
The US Department of Transportation has begun to embrace the Safe System Approach. This is the concept that everyone shares in the responsibility for road safety—especially people who plan, design, build, and operate transportation systems.
Think about it as a Swiss cheese approach with five layers of protection to prevent crashes and serious injury and death when crashes occur. If one part of the approach fails by "going through a hole" in a layer of cheese, the next layer of cheese will protect you because the holes in the five layers of cheese rarely align.
The safe system approach is based on five objectives:
Safe People: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use roads. Create conditions that prioritize the ability to reach destinations unharmed.
Safe Speeds: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments. Use a thoughtful, context-appropriate roadway design, tailored education and outreach campaigns, and enforcement.
Safe Roads: Design roadway environments to:
- Reduce the risk of human mistakes
- Minimize injuries when crashes occur
- Encourage safer behaviors
- Facilitate safe travel for different types of roads users.
Safe Vehicles: Expand the availability of vehicle designs and features that help prevent crashes. Safe vehicles can also minimize crashes' impact on occupants and non-occupants.
Post-Crash Care: Improve the odds that people will survive crashes by expediting access to emergency medical care. Create a safe working environment for vital first responders and prevent secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.
Netherlands example
In 1970, the United States and the Netherlands had similar traffic fatality rates. By 2019, the fatality rate in the Netherlands was 70% lower than that in the United States. This was largely because the Netherlands improved conditions for people traveling outside of cars. The Netherlands embraced a multilayered approach that is safer for people inside and outside of cars.
To learn more about how the United States compares to other developed countries, check out Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths — United States and 28 Other High-Income Countries, 2015 and 2019.
Resources
US Department of Transportation Resources
CDC Resources
- Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design
- What's Your Role? Transportation
- Pedestrian Safety
Additional Resources
Want additional tips and resources to be active?
Learn about Active People, Healthy NationSM, CDC’s national initiative to help people be more physically active.