Study: The most dangerous marked crosswalks in the US, revealed
- Analysis indicates significant state-by-state differences in pedestrian fatalities in marked crosswalks.
- Nevada, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey identified as leading states in pedestrian-involved fatal crashes at crosswalks.
- In Nevada nearly half of pedestrians involved in deadly collisions were at a marked crosswalk at the time.
A comprehensive analysis has revealed the states with the most dangerous marked crosswalks in the country, with Nevada topping the list.
The research by Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Anidjar & Levine, utilizing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2017 to 2021, focused on the number of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes who were recorded as being at a marked crosswalk at the time. The study reveals Nevada, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey as the states with the highest percentages of pedestrian-involved fatal crashes in marked crosswalks.
In Nevada, there were 424 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, with 190 of these incidents occurring at marked crosswalks, which equates to 44.8%. This indicates that nearly half of the pedestrians involved in a fatal crash were at a crosswalk at the time – the highest ratio in the study, making Nevada the most dangerous state for pedestrians at crosswalks.
Rhode Island follows in second place with 62 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes over the five year period, 27 of which occurred at marked crosswalks, accounting for 43.5% of the state’s total number of pedestrians involved in a deadly collision.
In third place for pedestrian danger at crosswalks, Hawaii saw 150 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, with 59 occurring at marked crosswalks, translating to 39.3%.
Massachusetts had the nation’s fourth highest rate of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes at marked crosswalks, with a percentage of 30.5%. In total there were 383 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, 117 of which were at marked crosswalks.
New Jersey rounds out the top five with 957 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, 287, or 29.9%, of which were at marked crosswalks.
Conversely, the states with the lowest percentages of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes at marked crosswalks were Alabama in 46th (3.8%), Louisiana in 47th (3.29%), West Virginia in 48th (2.92%), North Dakota in 49th (2.7%), and Mississippi in 50th, as just four out of 442 pedestrians in deadly collisions were at a marked crosswalk at the time, a percentage of just 0.89%.
A spokesperson for Anidjar & Levine commented on the study’s findings, stating: “These statistics highlight the significant risks pedestrians face at marked crosswalks. Crossing at a marked crosswalk might be the time when pedestrians feel they are safest in the road, but this data unfortunately highlights the dangers that they face, and it underscores the need for heightened awareness and adherence to safety measures by both drivers and pedestrians.”
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Methodology
This study analyzed pedestrian fatalities in marked crosswalks using NHTSA’s data from 2017 to 2021. The percentages were calculated by comparing the number of pedestrian-involved fatal crashes at marked crosswalks to the total number of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes in each state.
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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]
