The rise in pedestrian deaths across the United States is more than a troubling statistic—it is a reflection of how changing vehicle trends and driving behaviors are reshaping everyday risks for people on foot. A new study from Georgia-based firm Bader Law shows that 3,304 pedestrians were killed in the first half of 2024 alone. While slightly lower than the same period in 2023, this figure still represents a staggering 48 percent increase compared to 2014, translating to more than a thousand additional lives lost each year over the past decade.
Certain states stand out for their consistently high fatality rates. New Mexico reported the highest, with nearly five pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents. Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana follow closely, with Arizona, Mississippi, and California also ranking among the nation’s deadliest states for pedestrians. Yet, the year-over-year trends reveal an even more troubling reality. Nebraska, for example, saw a 150 percent surge in pedestrian deaths, while Alaska, Connecticut, Missouri, and Kansas each recorded increases above 40 percent. These sharp escalations suggest that the crisis is not confined to a handful of states but is spreading more widely across the country.
Bader Law’s analysis identifies two primary factors driving these fatalities: speeding and the growing size of vehicles on U.S. roads. Both factors magnify the danger for pedestrians. Speed-related crashes claimed more than 12,000 lives in 2022, and pedestrians accounted for nearly one in five traffic deaths. That share has risen by 83 percent since 2009. The physics are simple—higher speeds reduce a driver’s reaction time while amplifying the force of impact when a collision occurs.
Crash simulations illustrate the dramatic effect of speed on injury outcomes. A pedestrian struck at 24 kilometers per hour faces about a 10 percent chance of serious injury. At 35 kilometers per hour, that risk jumps to 50 percent. By 68 kilometers per hour, the probability of death reaches the same level—a 50/50 chance of survival. These figures underscore why even modest reductions in speed limits can have lifesaving effects.
The size and design of vehicles add another layer of risk. Pickups and SUVs, with their taller hoods and heavier frames, are far more lethal in pedestrian crashes than smaller passenger cars. The Bader Law study shows that at just 24 kilometers per hour, the risk of serious injury increases from 10 percent with a standard car to 10.8 percent with a pickup. For moderate to severe injuries, the rate climbs from 59 percent to 82 percent, and the risk of life-threatening injuries doubles—from 29 percent with a sedan to 60 percent with a large truck or SUV.
The danger lies not only in size but in design. High front ends on trucks and SUVs often strike pedestrians in the torso rather than the legs, sending victims forward under the vehicle rather than up and over it. Combined with the fact that nearly 80 percent of new U.S. vehicles sold in 2022 were pickups, SUVs, or vans, the dominance of these designs on the road poses an escalating threat. Smaller, more pedestrian-friendly vehicles, once half the market, now account for only about one in five sales.
This trend is reshaping communities in ways that extend beyond numbers. Historic neighborhoods, small towns, and pedestrian-friendly districts now contend with oversized vehicles on streets never designed for them. The result is not only aesthetic disruption but also real safety hazards for residents and visitors alike.
The findings from Bader Law underscore that pedestrian deaths are not random tragedies—they are predictable outcomes shaped by policy, infrastructure, and consumer choices. The firm calls for urgent reforms, from reducing speed limits and redesigning vehicle fronts to expanding pedestrian infrastructure and rethinking how American roads are shared.
As the study makes clear, the path forward requires collective action from automakers, policymakers, and drivers themselves. Pedestrian deaths can be prevented—but only if the systems shaping transportation make safety the priority.