TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time since the pandemic, it got a little safer to cross America's streets in 2023, new statistics show. According to data released Monday from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 7,318 American pedestrians were killed by motor vehicles last year -- a dip of 5.4% from 2022 and the first such decline seen since the pandemic ended.
But it's no time for celebration: The 2023 number for pedestrian deaths is still 14.1% above pre-pandemic levels. Still, the news is somewhat heartening, said GHSA Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adkins .
“A decline in pedestrian deaths offers hope that, after years of rising fatalities, a new trend is starting,” he said in a GHSA news release. “Each death is tragic and preventable. We know how to improve safety for people walking -- more infrastructure, vehicles designed to protect people walking, lower speeds and equitable traffic enforcement.
It will take all this, and more, to keep the numbers going in the right direction.” The new data comes from the State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the GHSA said. The report also gave insights into how and where pedestrians are most often killed: What can be done to bring these numbers down and prevent senseless tragedies on America's roadways? According to the GHSA, "traffic safety cameras and engaging with unhoused populations" who are at special risks of roadside deaths is crucial.
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