Far More Pedestrians are Getting Killed in Kentucky and the US
Every day, about 20 pedestrians are killed by moving vehicles in the US, according to a study recently released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). We’ve reached this level of carnage over time, and the increase in deaths from 2010 to 2021 is 77%. That increase is more than three times that of all other road accident deaths.
The GHSA estimates that more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed by drivers in 2022. This is the highest number in 31 years. The final total is higher because the statistics of Oklahoma deaths weren’t included because of technical problems. In 2022, 99 pedestrians were killed in vehicle accidents in Kentucky. In 2019, it was 77, which is about 30% lower.
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Why are More Pedestrians Getting Killed?
Unsafe road infrastructure and the increasing popularity of SUVs are blamed for the increase in pedestrian deaths since 2010. SUVs are more dangerous to pedestrians because they’re taller than cars and more likely to cause fatal accidents.
Additional dangers arrived with the COVID pandemic despite fewer of us drove. Many drivers were distracted and went faster, thanks to more room on the roads. While the pandemic is in our rearview mirror, reckless driving and the high number of people killed continues.
The study estimates that New Mexico is the most dangerous state for pedestrians, with Arizona and Florida following. Southern states experience more traffic deaths, and there may be many reasons:
- Communities are spread out, so more people drive to get around
- Warmer weather means more people are outside
- Pickup trucks are popular and deadlier than cars when they strike a pedestrian
Roads designed to get the most vehicles to their destination as quickly as possible are also inherently more dangerous for pedestrians. If there aren’t enough marked crossings, people will jaywalk. As vehicle speeds increase, there’s less time and distance for a vehicle to stop and avoid hitting a pedestrian crossing a road.
Kentucky – The Pedestrian Killing Zone
The GHSA estimates that the state’s pedestrian deaths increased by 23 from 2021 to 2022. Kentucky has the seventh-highest estimated death increase of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The worst state is Arizona, with an increase of 47 deaths. New Jersey’s estimated deaths decreased by 27.
Kentucky in 2017 had almost 4.3 million vehicles of all types registered, according to the Rand Corporation. The 2021 to 2022 increase in pedestrian accident deaths for other states and their number of vehicles registered in 2017 are as follows:
| State | Increase in Pedestrian Deaths | Number of Registered Vehicles |
| North Carolina | 19 | 8 million |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 10.7 million |
| Texas | 8 | 22.1 million |
| Maryland | 1 | 4.3 million |
| Minnesota | -10 | 5.7 million |
If we compare these numbers to the 2021-2022 increase in Kentucky pedestrian deaths and the difference in the number of registered vehicles, we find:
| State | Percentage Difference in Pedestrian Deaths | Difference in Number of Registered Vehicles |
| North Carolina | 21% fewer | 46% more |
| Pennsylvania | 450% fewer | 145% more |
| Texas | 175% fewer | 414% more |
| Maryland | 2100% fewer | Roughly the same |
| Minnesota | 3200% fewer | 32% more |
Here is information on these states, the difference in increased pedestrian deaths, and the difference in the average number of miles driven in 2021 (for Kentucky, it’s 16,143), according to Kelly Blue Book:
| State | Percentage Difference in Pedestrian Deaths | Percentage Difference in Average Number of Miles Driven in 2021 |
| North Carolina | 21% fewer | 6.5% fewer |
| Pennsylvania | 450% fewer | 47% fewer |
| Texas | 175% fewer | 3.6% fewer |
| Maryland | 2100% fewer | 27% fewer |
| Minnesota | 3200% fewer | 17% fewer |
If you consider the statistics, Kentucky is, overall, far more dangerous for pedestrians than these other states:
- Kentuckians drive more than residents of these other states, but that doesn’t come close to explaining why so many more pedestrians are killed
- Texans have more than four times as many vehicles registered, and residents drive slightly less than Kentuckians, but their increase in pedestrian deaths is 175% less than those killed in Kentucky
- Pennsylvania’s population is nearly three times that of Kentucky, and there are about 6.4 million more vehicles registered there, but Kentucky’s increase in pedestrian deaths is 450% higher
- Maryland has about the same number of vehicles as Kentucky. If drivers in Maryland killed as many additional pedestrians per mile from 2021 to 2022 as those in Kentucky, their increase would be about 17 deaths, not one
If you’re a pedestrian walking near or on Kentucky streets, or you drive near them, don’t add to these sad statistics. Be aware of the dangers and do your part to make the state safer.
What’s the Next Step?
If you are looking for an experienced lawyer after a vehicle injured you while you were walking, call The Fleck Firm for a free consultation at (270) 446-7000. We can talk about Kentucky law, your accident, and injuries. You will be fully informed about your situation and the possible hurdles you may face. Insurance companies have lawyers. You should have one too.
