Pedestrian Fatalities: Where Does the Baltimore Region Rank?

BALTIMORE, MD — Maryland is among the more dangerous states in a review of pedestrian deaths, according to a new study encouraging safety measures to protect people commuting near roadways. Smart Growth America's "Dangerous by Design" ranked the state 15th on 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, Maryland reported 1,053 pedestrian fatalities statewide, that's a rate of nearly 1.79 for every 100,000 residents.

The Baltimore metro area ranked 55th for pedestrian dangers in a review of the 104 largest metro areas. The region reported 470 deaths in the 10-year period — a rate slightly less than the state's. Richmond was ranked 44th, Philadelphia was ranked 68th and Washington, D.C. was ranked 69th, and Virginia Beach was ranked 77th.

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 occur 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.

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