The number of deaths decreased markedly from 2022 to the first half of 2023, but remains the highest in the nation.
CALIFORNIA — Pedestrian fatalities in California decreased significantly in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data recently released by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
In the first half of 2023, 2,373 people were hit and injured by motorists in the United States, a decrease of 153 people from the same period last year, a decrease of just 4%, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. , whose members represent state highway safety offices.
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According to the report, 498 pedestrians were killed in California in the first half of 2023, a decrease of 66 from the first half of 2022, a change of 11.7%.Report includes historical pedestrian data number of deaths Results from January to June:
- 2019 (final): 460 pedestrians killed
- 2020 (final): 463 pedestrians killed
- 2021 (final): 506 pedestrians killed
- 2022 (Actual): 564 pedestrians killed
- 2023 (tentative): 498 pedestrians killed
Despite the decline, California still has the highest number of traffic fatalities in the nation. The analysis found that 30 states, including Washington, D.C., saw fewer pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, and 18 states saw fewer pedestrian deaths than the previous period. increased. The number of pedestrian deaths remained unchanged in the three states.
Still, the number of pedestrians killed by drivers has increased by 14% since 2019, the year before the pandemic upended travel patterns. According to this year's final data, the number of people killed while walking will reach more than 7,500 in 2022, the highest level in 40 years.
Despite the decline, pedestrian fatalities increased by 58% from the first half of 2013 to the same period in 2023.
The report said multiple factors are involved in the deadly conditions on America's roads. Since 2020, speeding, impaired driving and other dangerous driving habits have become rampant due to a significant reduction in traffic enforcement across the country.
At the same time, roadways are designed for traffic moving at high speeds, rather than slower speeds that are safe for pedestrians, the report said, and many areas of the country lack sidewalks and crosswalks to protect pedestrians. He pointed out that the lighting was inadequate. .
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