Can technology help pedestrians?

Every 70 minutes, a pedestrian is killed on an American road.

Simple things like not using noise cancelling headphones and wearing sunglasses can help.

That’s the unsettling reality revealed in a latest pedestrian safety study — and it’s the worst it’s been since 1981.

📎 Full report: https://www.injuredinflorida.com/research/cities-failing-pedestrians/?utm_source=outreach&utm_medium=shared

In 2022:

7,522 pedestrians were killed

66,896 were injured

Pedestrians made up 17.7% of all motor vehicle deaths

Behind the numbers is a trend that public health experts now call a public safety emergency. Urban sprawl, bigger vehicles, and distracted driving are converging to make America’s roads more lethal — especially for those on foot.

“This isn’t just a transportation issue — it’s a health and equity crisis,” said the report's lead researcher.

Fatalities are concentrated in high-traffic states:

California: 1,158 deaths

Texas: 797

Florida: 773

The time of day matters too. 6–9 p.m. is the deadliest window, especially on weekends, when visibility drops and driver impairment rises.

The victims? Often working-age adults, not children or the elderly as many assume. In fact, men aged 55–64 had the highest fatality count, with 1,009 deaths.

Pedestrian fatalities have been rising despite safety campaigns — and the data suggests that without targeted infrastructure reform, this trend will continue.