That is a 25 percent decline from the 6,556 pedestrians killed in 1989. But pedestrian advocates say the decline in deaths is not a reflection of safer streets but of a dramatic drop in walking. The majority of motor vehicle operators who hit and kill pedestrians are never cited for anything more than a misdemeanor at the most. Cars also are getting bigger. Drivers are talking on cell phones or eating and working while they drive.
Traffic is more congested, making drivers more tense and distracted.
The Surface Transportation Policy Project, an anti-sprawl group, has calculated that walking is 36 times more deadly per mile than driving. In San Francisco, a city ad campaign launched last fall features a poster that depicts a frightened, elderly woman grasping a walker and glancing over her shoulder at an approaching car. The city has more than two dozen pedestrian deaths each year. A survey by San Francisco's comptroller found that one in three residents felt unsafe crossing the street. In response to public outrage, city officials recently launched a ticketing blitz of speeders and jaywalkers and increased pedestrian crossing times and posted signs marking sites of fatal accidents to warn pedestrians that crossing the street could be fatal.