The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit that calls itself the “Voice of the States for Highway Safety,” which annually publishes data and reports on what’s going on. happening on the roads of the United States. This year’s report on Preliminary data on pedestrian deaths in 2022 not good news. According to initial GHSA figures for 49 states and Washington, DC, 7,508 pedestrians died last year after being hit by a vehicle. However, the real number is certainly higher because Oklahoma was unable to send its information due to technical problems; That state has had an average of 92 deaths over the past few years. Since 1981, there have not been so many pedestrian deaths in the US.
The GHSA uses slightly different metrics than the US government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For example, the GHSA considers a fatality when a pedestrian involved in a collision dies within 30 days of the incident. NHTSA does not. However, the figures for the two organizations are often close to each other. For the year 2021, NHTSA data shows 7,388 pedestrians died, GHSA data shows 7.485.
Worse, data sets from both organizations show that this number has increased since 2010, when NHTSA figures put the death toll at 4,302. Motorcyclists and cyclists are also experiencing an increase in traffic deaths; however, the increase for pedestrians represents a 77% increase over the past 13 years, while the overall increase for other types of traffic deaths is 25%. Even if mileage has dropped significantly in 2020, Pedestrian deaths increased by 4.7%.
Many of the deaths occur at night and on roads without sidewalks. Almost every cause you can imagine — and see on the road every day among fellow drivers — is considered a potential cause of increased deaths: bigger vehicles, fewer measures. Pedestrian protection measures integrated in US vehicles, more adventurous driving, distracted drivingpoor infrastructure, an aging population at a higher risk of injury and death, etc. In terms of vehicle size, it is noteworthy that SUVs and pickups are far ahead of cars in terms of fatality rates, from 40% to 35%.
Almost as many remedies have been suggested to reduce tally figures, but many – like cameras running red lights and lower speed limits – will anger drivers. EQUAL NHTSA director told New York Times last year, “Motor vehicle first, highway first, everything else.” What we think most people can achieve is more pedestrian islands. They are a boon, and not just for pedestrians.
Developing a comprehensive approach to reversing the trend of pedestrian deaths will be high on the agenda at GHSA’s annual meeting in August. The organization said traffic safety leaders Communications, public health, law enforcement and government and business will join the event to look at more ways to further integrate the Safe Systems Approach, which US Department of Transportation considered as a “guidance model for solving road safety problems.” It looks at aspects of vehicle-pedestrian interactions including safer driving, homeless populations – a particularly vulnerable group of pedestrians – and better post-crash care. accident. Some proven and promising approaches include designing and building safer roads, interacting with homeless people, focusing traffic enforcement on driving behaviors, GHSA said. dangerous car like skirunning and driving when impaired or distracted, and educating new drivers about their responsibilities to look out for and yield to pedestrians and other road users.”
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