Skip to main content An icon that symbolizes the United States Department of Transportation logo. United States Department of Transportation
        Report a Safety Problem

  Toggle navigation
      National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationHomepage

    Ratings
                                Recalls
                                Risky Driving
                                Road Safety
                                Vehicle Safety
      
            More Info

                      Briefing Room
          
                        
            Importing a Vehicle
          
                                      
            
            Data
          
                        
            Research
          
                        
            Laws & Regulations
          
                    
                      Vehicle Manufacturers
                      State Governments
                      Enforcement & Justice Road Safety
        Topics
      
      Road Safety
        Bicycle Safety
                              Child Safety
                              Teen Driving
                              Older Drivers
                              Motorcycle Safety
                              Pedestrian Safety
                              School Bus Safety

    Pedestrian Safety

          Language:
English
        Español

      Overview


                      At some point in the day, everyone is a pedestrian. Unfortunately, pedestrian injuries and fatalities remain high. In 2021, 7,388 pedestrians were killed – a 13% increase from 2020 – and more than 60,000 pedestrians were injured nationwide. NHTSA raises awareness of the dangers to pedestrians and provides tips to keep pedestrians safe.

          
                    
          
  Share:
  Facebook
  Twitter
  LinkedIn
  Mail

                                Pedestrian Fatalities

                                                  7,388
      Pedestrians killed in traffic crashes in 2021
      Source

        How Walkable Is Your Community?

        Pedestrian Safety
                                                                                                              The Topic
                                                                                NHTSA In Action
                                                                                Resources

      Pedestrians
                                      Safety Advocates

        Pedestrian Safety
      The Topic
                      
                                              Pedestrians
                                                          Safety Advocates
                                                                              NHTSA In Action
                                                                              Resources

                    The Topic
                  

                  Pedestrians
          
          
    
  
       
  Everyone Is a Pedestrian

 
  
71
		A pedestrian was killed every 71 minutes in traffic crashes in 2021
		 
  Everyone has different preferences when it comes to transportation, but at one time or another everyone is a pedestrian.

When drivers maintain safe speeds and practice other safe driving behaviors, safer walking environments are created for you, your loved ones and others in your community.

 
  

      Driving Safely
              
          Watch the video
    

 
  
TRAFFIC SAFETY FACTS & DATA PUBLICATIONS
		Pedestrians
   
  Know the Basics—Pedestrian Safety
8 Safety Tips for Drivers
Look out for pedestrians everywhere, at all times.
Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or bad weather.
Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.
Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.
Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing where you can’t see.
Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street, in school zones and in neighborhoods where children are present.
Be extra cautious when backing up and look for pedestrians.

 
  
Related Topic
		Bicycle Safety
   
  8 Walking Safety Tips
Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.
If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely; continue watching for traffic as you cross.
Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.
Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking; they impair your abilities and your judgment.
Embrace walking as a healthy form of transportation - get up, get out and get moving.

 
  

      Pedestrian Bystander Care
              
          Watch the video
    

 
  Finding and Creating Walkable Communities
Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities
	Want to improve the walkability of your neighborhood? Learn from the examples of other communities working to improve pedestrian safety.
Walkability Checklist – English (PDF, 237.66 KB) | Spanish (PDF, 879.65 KB) | Asian Languages
	How walkable is your community? Take a walk with your child and find out for yourselves.Keeping Your Kids Safe While They Walk
Prevent Pedestrian Crashes: Parents and Caregivers of Elementary School Children (PDF, 165.61 KB)
	Elementary school children are very active and impulsive. Although they’re learning and growing, school-age children 10 and younger still need guidance and supervision when playing and walking near traffic.
Five Tips to Keep Your Children Safe on Their Way to and from School
	Strengthen your traffic safety knowledge: Teach and reinforce your children's pedestrian safety habits.
A Kid's Guide to Safe Walking (PDF, 3.04 MB)
	This colorful pamphlet will help you teach young children safety tips for crossing the street and things to remember when walking.
Tips for Preteens & Teens: Prevent Pedestrian Crashes (PDF, 3.30 MB)
	Remind your preteens and teens that walking around traffic requires the same critical thinking skills as riding a bike or driving a car: Stop, look left-right-left, be safe and be seen.Walking Safely and Staying Fit as You Age
Stepping Out as an Older Adult — Be Healthy, Walk Safely
	Share this resource with your aging parents to help them maintain their safety while walking for exercise or running errands.The Topic
                  

                  Safety Advocates
          
          
    
  
       
  If you're an advocate of pedestrian safety, or perhaps you work on a State or local pedestrian program, our curriculum and resources will equip you with the tools and information you need to effectively promote pedestrian safety.
Pedestrian Resource Guide
	Developed for National Pedestrian Safety Month, this guide discusses how a safe transportation system prioritizes people.
Accessible Pathways & Livable Communities Pocket Guide
	Pocket guide containing pathway accessibility and livability concepts for communities to consider (from Easter Seals).
Checklist for Assessing the Accessibility of Transportation and Mobility
	Introduction and instructions on using a checklist to assess the accessibility of a transit route, including the path of travel (from Easter Seals).
Child Pedestrian Safety Curriculum
	Lesson plans, assessment guides and student response forms to teach and encourage pedestrian safety to children in kindergarten through 5th grade.
ESL Teacher's Guide and Student Workbook: Walk and Bike Safely
	ESL guide and workbook to teach and encourage pedestrian and bike safety to adult immigrant students who are beginning English language learners.
Neighborhood Wayfinding Assessment Pocket Guide
	Guide and checklist to help you find your way in your community (from Easter Seals).
Pedestrian Safer Journey – Skills for Safe Walking for Ages 5 to 18
	Interactive training package for children in elementary through high school to develop skills for safe walking.
Pedestrian Safety Workshop: A Focus on Older Adults (PDF, 3.54 MB) and Instructor Guide (PDF, 3.54 MB)
	Presentation and guide for teaching older adults what they can do to increase their safety as pedestrians during this three-hour workshop.
Tips for Preteens & Teens: Prevent Pedestrian Crashes (PDF, 3.30 MB)
	Walking around traffic requires the same critical thinking skills as riding your bike and driving a car. Apply the same walking skills you learned as a kid: stop, look left-right-left for traffic and be safe, be seen. Use these skills when you walk, and encourage others to do the same.
Traffic Safety Facts–Pedestrians
	Yearly statistics on pedestrian traffic fatalities.
Traffic Safety Facts–Children
	Yearly statistics on traffic fatalities involving children.
Walkability Checklist – English (PDF, 237.66 KB) | Spanish (PDF, 879.65 KB) | Asian Languages
	Criteria to help you decide whether a neighborhood is a friendly place to walk.Visit FHWA's pedestrian web pages for additional information.
                NHTSA In Action
                  

                  NHTSA is dedicated to promoting safe behaviors on our nation’s roads
          
          
    
  
       
  NHTSA's pedestrian safety programs focus on the safe system approach, which has five main components:

**Safe People**: Encourage safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads, and create conditions that prioritize their ability to reach their destination unharmed.
	**Safe Speeds**: Promote safer speeds in all roadway environments through a combination of thoughtful, targeted, context-appropriate outreach campaigns, as well as judicious enforcement.
	**Safe Roads**: To encourage safer behaviors, and to facilitate safe travel by the most vulnerable users, design roadway environments to accommodate human mistakes and injury tolerances.
	**Safe Vehicles**: Expand the availability of vehicle designs and features that help to prevent crashes and minimize the impact of crashes on both occupants and non-occupants.
	**Post-Crash Care**: Enhance the survivability of people in crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care. Create a safe working environment for vital first responders and prevent secondary crashes through robust traffic incident management practices.NHTSA demonstrates its dedication to promoting safe pedestrian and motorist behavior through our educational material, leadership and expertise to communities across America. We also conduct public awareness campaigns, such as Everyone is a Pedestrian, raising awareness of the dangers to pedestrians.

Please join us in reducing traffic safety risks to pedestrians and promoting programs and countermeasures to save the lives of all road users on our nation's roadways.
                Resources
          
          
    
  
       
  **Pedestrian Safety Officials**

Focused Approach to Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety
		NHTSA supports FHWA's Focused Approach to Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety. The approach looks at cities and States with large numbers of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. NHTSA has worked with designated focus cities and States to implement enforcement and educational strategies that complement infrastructure applications to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities.
	How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PDF 5.14 MB)
		Guide for developing and implementing a pedestrian safety action plan tailored to the problems and needs of State and local agencies.
	Pedestrian Safety Program Management Course
		This two-day course provides a comprehensive approach to managing pedestrian safety programs.
	Pedestrian Safety Program Technical Assessment
		Find out how your State highway safety or emergency medical services program can benefit from NHTSA's technical assessment.
	Pedestrian Safety Training for Law Enforcement
		Order this CD-ROM to receive computer-based training in pedestrian safety, followed by a certificate of completion.
	Pedsafe
		An expert tool to help diagnose and address pedestrian safety problems.
	Proven Safety Countermeasures
		Proven pedestrian safety countermeasures: median refuges, road diets, and hawk hybrid signals.

 
          Search for more resources
    
        Explore other topics in Road Safety
            Bicycle Safety
                                                          Child Safety
                                                          Teen Driving
                                                          Older Drivers
                                                          Motorcycle Safety
                                                          Pedestrian Safety
                                                          School Bus Safety
 NHTSA Information
              
              About NHTSA
          Careers & Internships
          Contact Us
          Recall Information
          Report a Safety ProblemInformation For
              
              Vehicle Manufacturers
          State Governments
          Enforcement & JusticeNHTSA Sites
              
        SaferCar App
          TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov
          EMS.gov
          911.gov
            Website Information
              
        Web Policies & Notices
          Accessibility
          FOIA
          Privacy Policy
          Information Quality
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
          No Fear Act Data
          Ethics
          Civil Rights
          Office of Inspector General
          OIG Hotline
          BusinessUSA
          USA.gov
          WhiteHouse.gov

            National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
              1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
                Washington, D.C. 20590
              888-327-4236888-275-9171 (TTY)
              Twitter
                LinkedIn
                Facebook
                Youtube
                Instagram
        Submit Feedback >