MA Pedestrian Deaths Fall After Deadliest Year In 2022: Report

MASSACHUSETTS — Pedestrian deaths in Massachusetts declined by nearly 30 percent over the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Overall, drivers hit and killed 2,373 people during the first half of 2023 in the U.S., 153 fewer people than during the same period the year before, representing a modest decrease of 4 percent nationwide, according to the report from the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, whose members represent the state highway safety offices.

In Massachusetts, drivers killed 33 pedestrians over the first half of 2023, down from 46 in 2022 and 35 in 2021.

The report included historical data of pedestrian fatalities from January to June that showed:

• 2019 (final): 32 pedestrians killed
• 2020 (final): 18 pedestrians killed
• 2021 (final): 35 pedestrians killed
• 2022 (actual): 46 pedestrians killed
• 2023 (preliminary): 33 pedestrians killed

According to MassDOT data dating back to 2012, annual pedestrian deaths hit a recent high in Massachusetts in 2022.

• 2019: 78 pedestrians killed
• 2020: 59 pedestrians killed
• 2021: 81 pedestrians killed
• 2022: 97 pedestrians killed
• 2023: 62 pedestrians killed

Even with 33 pedestrians killed over the first six months of 2023, Massachusetts had a lower death toll compared to states like Florida (397), California (498) and Texas (369). Massachusetts had the highest death toll in New England. Vermont had zero pedestrian deaths, Rhode Island had 5 (a 2 percent increase compared to 2022), Maine had 4, Connecticut had 20 and New Hampshire had 10.

The Governors Highway Safety Association analysis shows that 30 states, including Washington, D.C., had fewer pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, while 18 had more pedestrian deaths than in the prior period. Pedestrian deaths remained the same in three states.

Still, the number of pedestrians killed by drivers has increased 14 percent for the period since 2019, the last year before the pandemic upended travel patterns. The number of people killed while walking reached a four-decade high of more than 7,500 in 2022, according to final data for the year.

Even with the decrease, pedestrian deaths have increased a staggering 58 percent between the first half of 2013 and the same period in 2023.

The report said multiple factors are responsible for the deadly situation on U.S. roadways. A steep drop in traffic enforcement across the country since 2020 has allowed speeding, impaired driving and other dangerous driving habits to flourish.

At the same time, roadways are designed for fast-moving traffic rather than at slower speeds that are safer for pedestrians, the report said, noting a lack of sidewalks and crosswalks, and insufficient lighting in many areas of the country that protect people on foot. The popularity of large pickup trucks and SUVs whose hoods can sometimes be as tall as 6 feet are also deadlier for pedestrians. Those vehicles have a higher chance of killing pedestrians in collisions.