Despite the health benefits of walking, only 2.2% of Americans walk to work. 

As the federal government tries to promote walking and walkable cities, one major obstacle they have identified is road safety. Unfortunately, this is a valid concern as pedestrian fatalities have almost doubled since 2009.

To see where pedestrians are most at risk, researchers at TruckInfo.net analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and found the following trends.

#1: Pedestrian fatalities have increased by 80% since 2009

While there was a steady decline in pedestrian fatalities from 1995 to 2009, the trend has reversed and pedestrian fatalities are now at an all-time high.

#2: Cities that walk to work have fewer pedestrian fatalities per capita

It may seem surprising that cities with more individuals walking to work have fewer pedestrian fatalities. However, the most likely explanation is that these cities promote walking to work by providing safe roads for pedestrians.

#3: The most dangerous roads are not in big cities or counties

Even when looking at total pedestrian fatalities (and not per capita), only three of the top 10 most populated counties appear on the top 10 list of most dangerous roads. In fact, four of the most dangerous roads in the country are in counties with populations under 1 million residents.

#4: Memphis, Tennessee is the most dangerous large city for pedestrians

Among large cities with a population over 350k, Memphis, Tennessee, is the most dangerous city for pedestrians with 65 pedestrian fatalities per 100k.

‍#5: New Mexico is the most dangerous state for pedestrians

Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Delaware round out the top 5.

Methodology

Fatal accident statistics were sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Large cities were defined as cities with a population of over 350,000; mid-size cities with populations from 150,000-350,000; and small cities with populations under 150,000.

This story was produced by TruckInfo.net and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.