A new report by the Governors Highway Safety Association finds that pedestrian accident fatality numbers continue to rise with a significant 5% increase in the first 6 months of 2022, compared to the previous year.
According to data by the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were a total of 3,434 pedestrian accident deaths across the United States during the first 6 months of 2022. That was a significant 5% increase from the same period of time in 2021. That also translated into an increase of 168 deaths from the previous year. The year 2021 was a disaster of a year for pedestrian safety, we saw a 40-year high in pedestrian accident fatalities.
What makes the data even more disappointing is that 2022 was the first post-pandemic year, and the number of fatalities was actually higher last year compared to 2019 just before the pandemic hit. There was an increase of 18% in the number of pedestrians killed in car accidents between the first half of 2019 and 2022. More than 500 additional pedestrians were killed between the first 6 months of 2019 and 2022, even as traffic volumes dropped in 2020 and 2021, as a result of pandemic- related lockdowns.
The Governors Highway Safety Association believes that a number of factors are contributing to an increase in the number of pedestrian wrongful deaths. Primary among these factors is an increase in deadly or dangerous driving behaviors by motorists since the start of the pandemic. Lower traffic volumes and lower rates of enforcement during this time have encouraged rash driving behaviors like speeding and distracted driving, and it has been alarming to see that many of these behaviors have continued even after the pandemic.
The Governor’s Highway Safety Association also believes that the popularity of larger and faster cars has been disastrous for pedestrians who are much more likely to be seriously injured when they are involved in an auto accident with a larger car. The American appetite for large SUVs, for instance, is continuing with no end in sight. These are vehicles that are much more likely to cause potentially fatal brain injuries or other types of personal injuries when they are involved in a collision with a pedestrian. Poor street planning in many of America’s largest cities including the metro Atlanta region have meant a prioritizing of speed and the convenience and comfort of motorists over the rights and safety of pedestrians. The result of all this has been a continually increasing rate of pedestrian wrongful deaths.
The Governors Highway Safety Association is recommending a focus on safer roads, pedestrian fatality prevention technology in automobiles, and better critical care services for pedestrians injured in car accidents to reduce those numbers.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages.   You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages.  Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.