Burlington Personal Injury Attorneys

More than 100 Years of Combined Experience

Age and pedestrian fatalities

On Behalf of | Dec 7, 2020 | Car Accidents

Whether you walk to work, your teen walks to school or your loved ones simply enjoy walking for exercise, there are a host of reasons why people choose to walk instead of drive or ride in a vehicle. Unfortunately, this brings the risk of a pedestrian accident and many lives are lost in these accidents each year. It is helpful for people who regularly walk to review statistics on pedestrian accidents to develop a better understanding of the risks they face, such as the number of lives lost in different age groups.

Sadly, many of the fatal pedestrian accidents that take place every year are completely preventable.

Reviewing statistics on age and pedestrian deaths

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 20% of all pedestrian deaths involved pedestrians who were 65 and over during 2017. Moreover, pedestrians in their 50s passed away at a higher rate than pedestrians in any other age group. In 2017, 572 pedestrians between the ages of 50 and 54 died in a traffic accident and more than 600 between the ages of 55 and 59 died in pedestrian accidents. Over the course of 2017, the average age of those who lost their lives in pedestrian accidents was 47 years old.

Reviewing other statistics on pedestrian deaths

The NHTSA also points out that in 2017, 70% of the pedestrians who died in accidents were male, and major cities in the U.S. typically had a higher pedestrian fatality rate than other parts of the country. Moreover, 75% of pedestrian deaths took place while it was dark and alcohol played a role in 47% of the fatal pedestrian accidents that occurred over the course of 2017.

 

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