The Increase of Pedestrian Deaths in the U.S.

There has been a scary trend in our country for the past 14 years. Since 2009, the rate of pedestrian deaths have increased dramatically. Most of these deaths are occurring between the sunset and sunrise. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety attributes this mostly due to the effect of pedestrians walking in the dark. But why does this happen? Studies have shown other developed industrial countries do not exhibit this trend, so furthering our question, why is this happening in our country?

There have been various theories to explain this phenomenon. Using mobile phone devices and other distracting gadgets in the cars is a big factor, in addition, the cars in the United States are much bigger in size which can potentially break less efficiency.   The urban sprawl with poorly lit roads and intersections, the rise of homelessness are other factors that have been mentioned. The culture of working class people to get from point A to point B as fast as possible while being distracted by technology can also contribute to this issue.  Interestingly, the rate of child fatalities has decreased over the years. This can be attributed to children not going out at night. What can be done about this? Solutions likely require a multifaceted approach including safer vehicle design, better infrastructure, stricter laws against distracted driving, and investments in public transportation and affordable housing near safe streets.