Pedestrian Fatalities: Where Does Atlanta Rank?

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia is among the 10 most dangerous states for pedestrians, according to a new study encouraging better crosswalks and other safety measures to protect people near roadways. Smart Growth America's "Dangerous by Design" ranked Georgia 10th in its Pedestrian Danger Index, which uses data that includes 10 years of pedestrian fatalities and the number of commuters who walk to work.

Between 2005 and 2014, there were more than 1,500 pedestrian fatalities in the state, at a rate of 1.57 deaths for every 100,000 residents. In a review of more than 100 metro areas, Atlanta ranked 26th on the Pedestrian Danger Index, and had a rate of 1.5 deaths for every 100,000 residents. The Augusta metro area ranked 22nd and had a rate of more than 2 deaths for every 100,000 residents.

Smart Growth America noted 46,149 pedestrians were struck and killed by cars in the U.S. in the 10-year period, at a rate of about 13 people per day. The study found that minorities and older Americans are overrepresented among pedestrian deaths.

"Everyone involved in the street design process—from federal policymakers to local elected leaders to transportation engineers—must take action to end pedestrian deaths," notes the study's authors. "So long as streets are built to prioritize high speeds at the cost of pedestrian safety, this will remain a problem."

Florida was the top state on the pedestrian danger index, and had eight of the top 10 metro areas. Jackson, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee also came in the top 10. The report’s data is pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

The NHTSA notes that the highest percentage of pedestrian fatalities happens between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Federal studies note proven countermeasures include roundabouts, pedestrian beacons, pedestrian crossing islands, rumble strips.

Here are the state rankings and the Pedestrian Safety Index for each state. The national PDI is 52.5.

1. Florida, 177
2. Alabama, 136.6
3. Louisiana, 117.1
4. Mississippi, 114.1
5. New Mexico, 112.8
6. Arizona, 108.5
7. South Carolina, 106.5
8. Delaware, 102.6
9. Texas, 101.1
10. Georgia, 98.1
11. North Carolina, 96.3
12. Nevada, 91.2
13. Tennessee, 90.5
14. Arkansas, 80.6
15. Maryland, 77.8
16. Oklahoma, 76.1
17. California, 64.4
18. Michigan, 61
19. Missouri, 60.2
20. New Jersey, 56.1
21. Kentucky, 54.9
22. Indiana, 46.3
23. West Virginia, 41.6
24. Virginia, 41.4
25. Utah, 38.9
26. Hawaii, 38.3
27. Ohio, 36.3
28. Connecticut, 34.9
29. Illinois, 34
30. Colorado, 33.7
31. Rhode Island, 32.3
32. Oregon, 30.7
33. Kansas, 30.5
34. Pennsylvania, 30.3
35. Montana, 27.1
36. Washington, 26.5
37. Wisconsin, 25.6
38. New York, 24
39. Idaho, 23.8
40. South Dakota, 22.8
41. Minnesota, 22.6
42. North Dakota, 22.2
43. New Hampshire, 22.2
44. Massachusetts, 22.1
45. Wyoming, 22
46. Maine, 19.9
47. Iowa, 19.7
48. Nebraska, 17.3
49. District of Columbia, 15.4
50. Alaska, 14.6
51. Vermont, 11.4

Read more about the Dangerous by Design study.

Georgia groups working to improve pedestrian safety include the Georgia Department of Transportation and Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety. The pair will host a Georgia Walks Summit in Augusta in May.

Image via Shutterstock