Smart Growth America (SGA) published a Dangerous by Design study in 2019. According to the study, 49,340 pedestrians lost their lives between 2008 and 2017. This motivated researchers to better understand what factors may lead to someone losing their life in a pedestrian accident.

Are pedestrian fatalities on the rise?

Pedestrian fatalities have been on an uptick in recent years. SGA’s data shows that pedestrian fatalities peaked in 2016 and 2017. There were at least 6,080 pedestrians nationwide who died in 2016. Another 5,977 pedestrians lost their lives in similar incidents in 2017. The last time the pedestrian death rate was as high as 2016 or 2017 was in 1990.

The data also reveals a 35.4% increase in pedestrian fatalities for ten years starting in 2008. This uptick came at a time when there was only a 1% increase in pedestrians. Car crashes decreased by 6.1% during that time frame.

How does Texas compare to other states in terms of pedestrian safety?

The SGA has a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) where it tracks pedestrian safety in different states. Their 2019 statistics show that Texas ranks eighth in terms of the most dangerous states for pedestrians in the U.S. SGA’s data shows that 1.79 in 100,000 residents, a ratio that equates to 4,831 pedestrians, lost their lives in pedestrian accidents here in Texas in between 2008 and 2017, leaving them with a 111.9 PDI score.

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area was the only Texas metro area that made it on the list of the most dangerous cities for pedestrians in the U.S. It ranked 16 on that top 20 list and had a PDI of 140.8. That region saw a pedestrian death rate of 1.69 per 100,000 between 2008 and 2017, which equates to 140 total fatalities.

What to do if you suffered injuries or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident

Pedestrians and cars don’t make for a good mix. Various factors put pedestrians at risk of suffering significant injuries in a crash, including driver intoxication, speed and distractions.

Your recovery is likely to take time if you suffer serious injuries, and no amount of money will ever make up for the fact that you lost a loved one. However, any compensation that you’re able to recover under Texas law may limit some of your financial burden.