Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes:

Pedestrians

DOT Pedestrian Safety Summit

July 2020 
2

Vulnerable Road Users (VRU)

Pedestrians

Older Occupants 

(65+)

Child 

Occupants

(Under 15)

Motorcyclists Pedalcyclists

2
#

Change in VRU Fatalities

3

3

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Pedestrian Pedalcyclist Motorcyclist Older Occupant Child Occupant

2009 2014 2018

Source: FARS 2009 & 2014 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Crash Fatalities and Pedestrian Makeup, 2009-2018 4

12%

17%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Traffic Fatalites Pedestrian Fatalities Pedestrian Fatality Percentage

Source: FARS 2009-2017 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Median Age of Fatalities by Type, 2009-2018 5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Median Age

Driver Occupant Pedestrian Pedalcyclist Other/Unknown Non-Occupants All Fatalities

Source: FARS 2009-2017 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Change in Pedestrian Fatalities by Age 6

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

<15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

2009 2014 2018

Sources: FARS 2009 & 2014 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Pedestrian Fatalities by Time of Day, 2009-2018 7

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Daytime Nighttime Unknown

Source: FARS 2009-2017 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
2018 Highlights
Pedestrian Fatalities 9

• 6,283 pedestrian fatalities in 2018

• An increase of 208 fatalities (3.4% increase from 2017)

• Highest since 1990

• 48% involved alcohol (driver and/or pedestrian)

• Early Projections for 2019 pedestrian fatalities show an estimated 2 

percent drop 
Pedestrian Fatalities in Relation to Intersections, 2018 10

At Inersection

25%

Not at Intersection

74%

Unknown

1%

Sources: FARS 2009 & 2014 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Pedestrian Fatalities by Roadway Function Class, 2018 11

Sources: FARS 2009 & 2014 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File

Principal Arterial

55%

Minor Arterial

22%

Collector

11%

Local

12%

Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local
12 Interstate Pedestrian Fatalities by Land Classification and Time of Day, 

2018*

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Rural Urban

Daytime Nighttime

Source: FARS 2018 Annual Report File

*Unknowns excluded
13 Pedestrian Fatalities in Single Vehicle Crashes where First 

Harmful Event was Vehicle Collision, 2018

Passenger Car

42%

SUVs

20%

Pickup Trucks

16%

Vans

5%

Large Trucks

6%

Buses

1%

Oth/Unknown

10%

Sources: FARS 2009 & 2014 Final File, FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Pedestrian Fatalities and Makeup by State, 2018 14

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

Puerto Rico

Hawaii

District of Columbia

New Jersey

New York

Maryland

California

Nevada

Arizona

Florida

Massachusetts

Louisiana

New Mexico

Delaware

Connecticut

Washington

Alaska

Georgia

Texas

Pennsylvania

Illinois

South Carolina

Oregon

North Carolina

Michigan

Virginia

Colorado

Utah

Indiana

Mississippi

Tennessee

Arkansas

Ohio

Rhode Island

Alabama

Minnesota

Nebraska

Missouri

Kentucky

Wisconsin

Oklahoma

Vermont

Montana

South Dakota

West Virginia

Idaho

Kansas

Iowa

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Wyoming

Maine

Pedestrian Fatalities Pedestrian Fatality Percentage

Source: FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Metropolitan Statistical Area Pedestrian Fatality Rate, 2018

Sources: FARS 2018 Annual Report File; 2018 Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles: Metropolitan Statistical Areas; 2018 Census Annual Estimates of Population

15
Pedestrian Fatalities by Month, 2018 16

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

January February March April May June July August September October November December

Pedestrian Fatalities Percent of All Traffic Fatalities

Source: FARS 2018 Annual Report File
Pedestrian Fatalities by Age and Sex, 2018 17

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

<15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Male Female Sex Reported as Unknown

Source: FARS 2018 Annual Report File
#

County Comparison, 2017-2018

18

Counties with 15+ increase in pedestrian fatalities:

• Miami-Dade County, FL (48) 

• Maricopa County, AZ (22) 

• El Paso County, TX (20) 

• San Diego County, CA (19) 

• Hartford County, CT (16) 

• Honolulu County, HI (16)

• Solano County, CA (16)

Source: FARS 2017 Final File & FARS 2018 Annual Report File

18
#

City Comparison, 2017-2018

19

Of the cities with population of more than 96,000 (largest number 

increase from 2017 to 2018): 

Pedalcyclist Fatalities: • Albuquerque, NM (5) 

• Dallas, TX (5) 

• Denver, CO (5) 

• Jacksonville, FL (5)

• Sacramento, CA (5)

Motorcyclist Fatalities: • Memphis, TN (12) 

• St. Petersburg, FL (9)

• Atlanta, GA (8) 

• Virginia Beach, VA (7) 

• New York City, NY (6)

• Columbus, OH (5) 

• Orlando, FL (5) 

• Richmond, VA (5) 

Total Traffic Fatalities: • Miami, FL (22) 

• El Paso, TX (20) 

• Memphis, TN (20) 

• San Diego, CA (19) 

• Tucson, AZ (17) 

• St. Petersburg, FL (17) 

• Modesto, CA (15)

• Knoxville, TN (15)

Pedestrian Fatalities: • New York City, NY (17) 

• El Paso, TX (16)

• Phoenix, AZ (16) 

• Miami, FL (15) 

• San Diego, CA (13)

• Hialeah, FL (10)

Source: FARS 2017 Final File & FARS 2018 Annual Report File

19
20 Want more information? 

Please see these NHTSA resources:

Fatality and Injury Reporting System (FIRST)

CrashStats: Pedestrians

Traffic Safety Facts Annual Reports