(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Drivers hit and killed 7% fewer people walking on U.S. roads in 2025 compared to the year before – the largest annual reduction since pedestrian deaths began falling three years ago, according to a new data analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The projected 6,732 pedestrian fatalities in 2025 were still 5% above the 2019 level, the last year before the pandemic caused widespread changes in traffic patterns and reductions in enforcement. Those pedestrian deaths had a financial toll of nearly $94 billion from productivity losses, medical treatments, emergency services and legal fees, among other costs.
Some key trends that the 2024 data show:
- SUVs and pickups account for more than half of pedestrian fatalities. Light trucks (a category that includes SUVs, pickup trucks and vans) were the striking vehicle in 50.4% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2024, compared to 40.6% for passenger cars. A significant gap between these two vehicle categories emerged in 2019 and grew through 2023 but narrowed slightly in 2024.
- Most crashes happen in urban areas, but rural crashes are more likely to be fatal. In 2024, 84% of pedestrian crashes happened in urban areas. In those urban areas, 9.2% of pedestrian crashes were fatal, compared to 15.1% in rural areas. Potential reasons for this disparity include higher vehicle speeds (which are more dangerous to pedestrians) and longer EMS response times.
- More than 1,100 people (15% of all pedestrian deaths) died on freeways and interstates, which aren’t designed for people walking. While not traditionally thought of as pedestrians, stranded motorists exiting their vehicles, first responders and tow truck drivers are all examples of people killed on freeways. All states have Move Over laws designed to address this problem, but drivers frequently remain at high speed.
- Distraction is increasingly a factor in pedestrian fatalities. In 2024, 21.7% of pedestrian fatalities involved a distracted driver, up from 15.6% in 2019. Distraction on the part of the pedestrian was cited in 29.2% of fatal crashes in 2024, nearly double the 15.3% level in 2019.
- Nearly one in four pedestrian deaths is the result of a hit-and-run crash. Drivers who fled the scene hit and killed 1,669 pedestrians in 2024, down 4% from the year before. Hit-and-runs accounted for 23.8% of all pedestrian fatalities in 2024, up from a six-year low of 19.9% in 2019.
- More than three-quarters of deaths happen at night. An overwhelming majority (76.5%) of pedestrian fatalities with known lighting conditions occurred after dark, regardless of whether there was artificial lighting. This compares to just 19.9% of pedestrian fatalities taking place during daylight hours and 3.6% at dawn or dusk.
- Three in every five deaths occurred in locations without a sidewalk. In 2024, 62.2% of pedestrian fatalities occurred where there was no sidewalk, a small decrease from the previous year (64.8%) and notably lower than the 68.3% in 2021.
- Alcohol impairment surges among young drivers. Impairment, by both drivers and pedestrians, is a significant and long-running roadway safety concern. In pedestrian fatalities involving a driver age 16–24, the driver had a BAC above .08 in 15.6% of crashes in 2024, more than double the 7.2% in 2019. Alcohol impairment among pedestrians has fallen among nearly all age groups.
