Because they are not encased in a steel frame when struck by cars, pedestrians are 1.5 times more likely to die in car crashes. Ultimately, this means there is one crash-related pedestrian death every two hours.
What’s behind this high total? For the most part, distraction and carelessness are the leading culprits. People step off curbs too soon, may walk in roadways where there is no sidewalk or may presume that a speeding vehicle sees them crossing and will stop.
All of these can be fatal mistakes, particularly at night or during times of high stress for motor vehicle operators, like rush hour, when the focus is more on getting to a destination than getting somewhere safely. A vehicle moving at even the relatively slow and recommended 25 miles per hour still needs a certain number of feet to halt completely. Needless to say, Detroit steel will beat flesh and blood every time in the battle of wills.
The Biggest Risks
Some pedestrians are at higher risk than others. Men are more likely to be injured than women in motor vehicle crashes. Teens and young adults (those ages 15 to 29 years old) are the biggest offenders and are far more likely to wind up in the hospital emergency room than other age groups, likely because they are among the greatest number of walkers.
However, pedestrian deaths from crashes generally increase in age, no doubt related to slowed reflexes and other distractions. And more than one-third of pedestrians who died in traffic crashes were legally drunk, which may have caused them to stumble into traffic or impaired their judgment on when it was safe to cross.