PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS IN THE U.S.

An HSRI team examined human, situational, and vehicle-related factors in pedestrian accidents by analyzing three sets of data: the NHTSA Fatal Accident Reporting System files for 1975-1979; all pedestrian accidents in the state of Michigan for 1976-1979; and all pedestrian accidents in the state of Washington for 1974-1978. Reproduced in this article are 17 of the 61 tables and figures in the final report of the study. Some of the main findings: (1) Young children are disproportionately involved in fatal as well as nonfatal pedestrian accidents; (2) Children are most frequently involved during late afternoon and early evening hours, as are adults over age 60; (3) Young and middle-aged adults are most frequently involved during late evening and early morning hours; (4) Almost two-thirds of the fatal accidents occur after dark; (5) In late-night accidents, prior consumption of alcohol by the driver or pedestrian is a frequent factor; (6) Most pedestrian accidents occur on local urban roads away from intersections; and (7) Heavier types of motor vehicles seem to be disproportionately involved in fatal pedestrian accidents.