Pedestrian Fatalities: Where Does Virginia and the DC Region Rank?

WASHINGTON, DC — Virginia is ranked 24th in a review of pedestrian dangers, according to a new study encouraging safety measures to protect people commuting near roadways. Smart Growth America's "Dangerous by Design" ranked Washington, D.C. 49th 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, Virginia reported 813 pedestrian fatalities statewide, that's a rate of nearly one death for every 100,000 residents. The District reported 121 deaths in the 10-year period, a rate that is among the highest in the nation. That fact was likely offset in the danger index due to the large number of pedestrian commuters.

The D.C. metro area, which includes most of Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland, there were 817 pedestrian deaths in the 10 years, with a rate of 1.39 deaths for every 100,000 residents and a Pedestrian Danger Index rank of 69th among the 104 largest metro areas. Richmond was ranked 44th, Baltimore was ranked 55th 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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