U.S. roads have become increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, with a new analysis from Bader Law revealing a 48% increase in pedestrian fatalities since 2014. The data paints a clear and deeply troubling picture of how rising vehicle speeds and the dominance of larger automobiles are fueling a nationwide safety crisis.

According to Bader Law’s findings, 3,304 pedestrians were killed during the first half of 2024 alone. While this figure represents a modest decline from 2023, it still accounts for over 1,000 more deaths than were reported during the same timeframe just a decade earlier.

Speed and Size: The Twin Threats Behind the Crisis

The study identifies speeding and vehicle size as the two leading contributors to the rising death toll. In 2022, speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities, resulting in 12,151 deaths or 33 lives lost per day. Alarmingly, 7,522 of those deaths were pedestrians, an 83% increase compared to 2009.

Bader Law’s analysis underscores how even modest increases in speed dramatically raise the risk to pedestrians:

• At 24 km/h (15 mph), there is a 10% chance of serious injury
• At 35 km/h (22 mph), the risk jumps to 50% for moderate-to-fatal injury
• At 68 km/h (42 mph), there is a 50% chance of death upon impact

Vehicle size compounds these dangers. The study shows that SUVs and pickup trucks are two to three times more likely to kill a pedestrian than smaller vehicles. The high front-end design of these larger vehicles strikes pedestrians at the torso, often throwing victims into the vehicle’s path, rather than over the hood as with smaller cars.

Large Vehicles Dominate U.S. Auto Sales

Bader Law highlights a significant shift in the U.S. vehicle market that is worsening pedestrian safety risks. As of 2022:

• SUVs, vans, and pickups made up 79% of new vehicle sales
• Sales of smaller passenger vehicles declined from 50% to just 21% over the past decade

This vehicle shift not only changes road dynamics but increases the lethality of crashes involving pedestrians, especially in urban and residential zones.

States with the Highest Pedestrian Death Rates

The study ranks states based on pedestrian fatality rates per 100,000 residents. The most impacted include:

• New Mexico – 2.07
• Mississippi – 1.94
• Nevada – 1.90
• District of Columbia – 1.85
• Arizona – 1.74
• Florida & Louisiana – 1.57
• South Carolina – 1.44
• Alabama – 1.32
• Delaware & North Carolina – 1.24
• Maryland – 1.18
• California – 1.11

States with the Lowest Fatality Rates

Some states have maintained much lower pedestrian fatality rates:

• Montana – 0.18
• Idaho – 0.20
• New Hampshire – 0.21
• North Dakota – 0.25
• Rhode Island – 0.27
• Maine & Minnesota – 0.28
• South Dakota – 0.32
• Utah – 0.37
• West Virginia – 0.40
• Iowa, Massachusetts & Vermont – 0.46

Most Concerning Year-Over-Year Spikes

Between 2023 and 2024, the following states experienced the most alarming increases in pedestrian deaths:

• Nebraska – +150.0%
• Alaska – +66.7%
• Connecticut – +56.5%
• Missouri – +46.1%
• District of Columbia – +44.4%

Actionable Solutions Highlighted by the Study

To reverse this trend, Bader Law’s research points to several critical interventions:

• Lower speed limits in pedestrian-dense areas
• Traffic calming infrastructure, such as raised crosswalks, curb extensions, and speed humps
• Wider adoption of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems, which reduce crashes by 27% and serious injuries by up to 87%
• Vehicle design reforms, including lowering and sloping the front ends of SUVs and trucks to reduce the severity of pedestrian impacts

The Urgent Need for Policy Change

With a national pedestrian fatality rate now at 0.97 deaths per 100,000 people, 22 states exceed the national average. The Bader Law study makes clear that without bold changes to traffic laws, vehicle design standards, and enforcement practices, thousands of preventable deaths will continue to occur on America’s roads each year.