Safety

In 2019* there were 6,205 pedestrians, 846 bicyclists, and 287 other non-motorists (e.g. persons riding micromobility devices) killed in crashes with motor vehicles in the United States. Together these road users account for a growing share of total US traffic fatalities: in 2010, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorists represented 15.5 percent of total traffic fatalities, and in 2019 they accounted for 20.3 percent of fatalities.

Non-motorist fatalities increased by 43.6 percent in the ten-year period between 2010 and 2019. During that same time period, total traffic fatalities increased by 9.4 percent.

Bar showing increasing trend of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities in the US from 2010-2019. Green color in the graph shows pedestrian fatalities. Light green shows bicyclist fatalities. A dark green shows other/unknown non-motorist. Pedestrian fatalities in 2010 are 4,302. In 2019 they are 6,205. Bicyclist fatalities in 2010 are 623. In 2019 they are 846. Other/Unknown non-motorist fatalities are 185 in 2010. In 2019, they are 287.

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2021, September 02). Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): 2005-2018 Final File and 2019 Annual Report File (ARF). Version 4.0. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from https://cdan.dot.gov/query.

At a national level, the majority of pedestrian fatalities (73.3 percent) and bicyclist fatalities (62.0 percent) occur at non-intersections.

Lighting conditions are a major factor in pedestrian fatalities: 75.1 pedestrian fatalities nationwide occur in dark conditions. By contrast, 48.0 percent of bicyclist fatalities occur in dark conditions. Time of day plays a role in this as well. The hours from 6:00pm to 9:00pm tend to account for more pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities than other times of day.

Chart of U.S. Pedestrian Fatalities from 2017-2019 by location type. Of the total pedestrian fatalities, 18,684, 15,181 or 81.4% of them occured in urban locations; 106 or 0.6% of them occured in not-reported locations, and 3,367 or 18.0% occured in rural locations. Of the Urban location fatalities, or 15,181 fatalities, 10,542 or 56.5% occured at non-intersections, 4,599 or 24.7% occured at intersections, and 40 or 0.2% occured at other locations. Of the Rural location fatalities, or 3,367 fatalities, 3,036 or 16.3% occured at non-intersections, 301 or 1.6% occured at intersections, and 30 or 0.2% occured at other locations. Chart of U.S. Bicyclist Fatalities from 2017-2019 by location type. Of the total bicyclist fatalities, 2,523, 1,123 or 44.5% of them occured in urban locations; 9 or 0.4% of them occured in not-reported locations, and 551 or 21.8.0% occured in rural locations. Of the Urban location fatalities, or 1,963 fatalities, 1,123 or 44.5% occured at non-intersections, 836 or 33.1% occured at intersections, and 4 or 0.2% occured at other locations. Of the Rural location fatalities, or 551 fatalities, 437 or 17.3% occured at non-intersections, 113 or 4.5% occured at intersections, and 1 or 0.0% occured at other locations.

Though there is not an official accounting of total crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists or injuries sustained by these road users at the national level, there are estimates each year from the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). Studies have shown that pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities represent only the “top of the iceberg” with respect to all crashes involving these modes. Furthermore, research has demonstrated consistent underreporting of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, so as many as 44-75 percent of pedestrian crashes and 7-46 percent of bicyclist crashes may be missing from police-reported crash data. In a recent study examining North Carolina pedestrian crash characteristics, investigators found that for each pedestrian fatality, 17 pedestrians were reported to have been involved in a non-fatal motor vehicle crash and 24 pedestrians were treated for their injuries in an emergency department setting.

Where to Find Data