The presidential campaigns and the World Series dominated the news. It was a tragic yet typical day for persons on foot in America. This one day presents a clear picture of how pedestrians of all ages, in every region of the country encounter great problems just getting from place to place. Each year in the U.S., almost 6,000 pedestrians are killed by motor vehicles. That's about 16 people hit and killed each day.
Pedestrians account for one of every six traffic-related deaths.
In addition, some 110,000 people walking or standing near a roadway suffer serious injuries each year. Those pedestrians who died October 21 ranged in age from eight to 89. Some were crossing streets improperly, others were run down by reckless drivers. Most of the pedestrians and drivers were sober. Some, however, had BACs as high as .32 percent.