Fatal Pedestrian Crossings in New York Among Highest in U.S.

New York ranked in top 10 on list of riskiest states for pedestrian crossings.

A comprehensive analysis has revealed the states with the most dangerous marked crosswalks in the country, with Nevada topping the list.

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The research by Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Anidjar & Levine, utilizing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2017 to 2021, focused on the number of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes who were recorded as being at a marked crosswalk at the time. The study reveals Nevada, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey as the states with the highest percentages of pedestrian-involved fatal crashes in marked crosswalks.

In Nevada, there were 424 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, with 190 of these incidents occurring at marked crosswalks, which equates to 44.8%. This indicates that nearly half of the pedestrians involved in a fatal crash were at a crosswalk at the time – the highest ratio in the study, making Nevada the most dangerous state for pedestrians at crosswalks.

Rhode Island follows in second place with 62 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes over the five year period, 27 of which occurred at marked crosswalks, accounting for 43.5% of the state's total number of pedestrians involved in a deadly collision.

In third place for pedestrian danger at crosswalks, Hawaii saw 150 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, with 59 occurring at marked crosswalks, translating to 39.3%.

Massachusetts had the nation’s fourth highest rate of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes at marked crosswalks, with a percentage of 30.5%. In total there were 383 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, 117 of which were at marked crosswalks.

New Jersey rounds out the top five with 957 pedestrians involved in fatal crashes, 287, or 29.9%, of which were at marked crosswalks.

New York Just Outside of the Top 5

New York was just outside of the top 5 with just under 30% of pedestrian fatalities occurring at marked crosswalks. 

A spokesperson for Anidjar & Levine commented on the study's findings, stating: "These statistics highlight the significant risks pedestrians face at marked crosswalks. Crossing at a marked crosswalk might be the time when pedestrians feel they are safest in the road, but this data unfortunately highlights the dangers that they face, and it underscores the need for heightened awareness and adherence to safety measures by both drivers and pedestrians."

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Methodology

This study analyzed pedestrian fatalities in marked crosswalks using NHTSA's data from 2017 to 2021. The percentages were calculated by comparing the number of pedestrian-involved fatal crashes at marked crosswalks to the total number of pedestrians involved in fatal crashes in each state.

Top 10 States For Fatal Pedestrian Crossings