Geographic and Time-of-Day Shifts in Pedestrian Crashes by Injury Severity Level

Details

• Creators:
  Schneider, Robert J ; Gu, Xiaohan ; Nelson, Kyle ; Ferenchak, Nicholas N.
• Corporate Creators:
  Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Census Crash Injuries Pedestrians Pedestrian Safety Time Periods
• Publication/ Report Number:
  23UWM04
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/d100-pe41
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final Report – June 2023 to May 2024
• Corporate Publisher:
  Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety (CPBS) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Abstract:
  Pedestrian fatalities increased by more than 50% in the 2010s, despite many local, state, and federal efforts to provide complete streets and establish policies to move toward a fatality-free transportation system. To better understand the US pedestrian safety crisis, we analyzed crashes at a finer geographic and temporal scale than previous research. Using crash data from eight states, we compared fatal and serious injury (K&A) pedestrian crashes by neighborhood (census tract) and by hour of the week and month of year between 2008-2012 and 2017-2021. K&A pedestrian crash characteristics shifted between these two periods. At the neighborhood level, low-income, high-unemployment, and racial and ethnic minority populations were overrepresented in K&A pedestrian crashes in 2008-2012, and these groups were more likely to experience increases in K&A pedestrian increases during the 2010s, further exacerbating inequitable pedestrian safety outcomes. Neighborhoods with lower population density, at least one high-traffic arterial or collector roadway, an interstate or other type of freeway, and higher proportions of retail jobs were also significantly more likely than other tracts to experience increases in K&A pedestrian crashes during the 2010s. Considering temporal shifts in nine states, the highest numbers of K&A pedestrian crashes occurred between 6 pm and midnight, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. However, the largest increases during the 2010s were during the midnight to 6 am time period on weekdays, suggesting that pedestrian and motor vehicle activity levels or pedestrian and driver behaviors may have shifted over the decade.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  69A3552348336
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c6e5aabd89deb8f73b9eafe1f330589b9afefdfe228c1a43015e396135953ec0884950c92d3d2df4279436806c44561fb04f4006707eaaa4c2db617413996cc2
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/86224/dot_86224_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 672.04 KB ]