Pedestrian traffic fatalities ranked by state
- Wisconsin ranks tenth among states with the lowest percentage of pedestrians killed in car crashes.
- Analysis of NHTSA data from 2017 to 2021 shows significant state-by-state variations.
- Pedestrian deaths account for 8.96% of total traffic fatalities in Wisconsin.
A new study analyzing official government data has identified the states where pedestrians are least at risk of being killed in car crashes, with Wisconsin ranking tenth.
The study, conducted by personal injury law firm Injured In Florida analyzed data spanning from 2017 to 2021 from the NHTSA’s Motor Vehicle Crash Data Querying and Reporting system.
It focused on pedestrian deaths as a proportion of total traffic fatalities over a five-year period, and revealed significant variations in pedestrian fatalities across different states.
Wisconsin emerged as the state with the tenth-lowest rate of pedestrian fatalities.
Out of the 3,001 total traffic deaths recorded in the state during the study period, 269 were pedestrians. This means that only 8.96% of all traffic fatalities in Wisconsin involved pedestrians, the tenth-lowest percentage in the nation.
Wyoming tops the list, as out of 618 total traffic deaths, only 40 were pedestrians, accounting for 6.47% of all fatalities.
North Dakota is second in the ranking, due to 34 pedestrian deaths out of a total of 522 traffic fatalities, meaning that pedestrians accounted for 6.51% of the deaths.
Idaho ranks third, with pedestrians accounting for a small portion of the total traffic fatalities. Out of 1,188 traffic deaths, 79 were pedestrians, which is 6.65% of the total.
10 states with the lowest percentage of pedestrians killed in car crashes
|
Rank
|
State
|
Pedestrians
|
Total people killed in crashes
|
Percentage of people killed who were pedestrians
|
|
1.
|
Wyoming |
40 |
618 |
6.47% |
|
2.
|
North Dakota |
34 |
522 |
6.51% |
|
3.
|
Idaho |
79 |
1,188 |
6.65% |
|
4.
|
Iowa |
125 |
1,684 |
7.42% |
|
5.
|
Kansas |
166 |
2,126 |
7.81% |
|
6.
|
Montana |
80 |
1,003 |
7.98% |
|
7.
|
Nebraska |
97 |
1,160 |
8.36% |
|
8.
|
South Dakota |
55 |
650 |
8.46% |
|
9.
|
Maine |
70 |
783 |
8.94% |
|
10.
|
Wisconsin |
269 |
3,001 |
8.96% |
At the other end of the spectrum, the study identified states where the percentage of pedestrian fatalities in total traffic deaths was significantly higher.
New Jersey ranked first among the states with the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities. Out of 3,030 total traffic deaths, 916 were pedestrians, representing 30.23% of all fatalities.
Hawaii is in second place, with pedestrians accounting for 27.01% of its traffic deaths. In absolute numbers, Hawaii reported 138 pedestrian deaths out of a total of 511 traffic fatalities.
California ranks third. During the period analyzed, there were 19,666 total traffic fatalities in the state, of which 5,050 were pedestrians. This means that pedestrians represented 25.68% of all traffic fatalities in California.
10 states with the highest percentage of pedestrians killed in car crashes
|
Rank
|
State
|
Pedestrians
|
Total people killed in crashes
|
Percentage of people killed who were pedestrians
|
|
1.
|
New Jersey |
916 |
3,030 |
30.23% |
|
2.
|
Hawaii |
138 |
511 |
27.01% |
|
3.
|
California |
5,050 |
19,666 |
25.68% |
|
4.
|
New York |
1,310 |
5,106 |
25.66% |
|
5.
|
Nevada |
393 |
1,662 |
23.65% |
|
6.
|
Maryland |
635 |
2,739 |
23.18% |
|
7.
|
Delaware |
142 |
614 |
23.13% |
|
8.
|
Florida |
3,586 |
16,503 |
21.73% |
|
9.
|
Arizona |
1,129 |
5,221 |
21.62% |
|
10.
|
New Mexico |
422 |
2,076 |
20.33% |
A spokesperson for Injured In Florida commented on the findings: “This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the heightened risks pedestrians face in certain states.
“In total there were more than 32,000 pedestrians fatally injured in car crashes between 2017 and 2021, making up around 17% of all road traffic deaths. Every life lost in a traffic accident is a tragedy, and understanding these patterns is a crucial step towards making our streets safer for everyone.”
ENDS
Story credit to: https://www.injuredinflorida.com/
Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Methodology:
The data for this study was obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Motor Vehicle Crash Data Querying and Reporting system. It involved a thorough analysis of the number of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes relative to the total number of people killed in crashes in each state from 2017 to 2021. The states were then ranked based on the percentage of traffic fatalities that involved pedestrians
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
