Recently, researchers have found unusually high US pedestrian death rates. It's a disturbing phenomenon and a trend that everyone would like to see reversed. The question is, is there any one reason why pedestrian deaths are trending up?

Some posit that it's not one reason that's causing pedestrian deaths, but many. In this article, we'll go over six likely reasons for these statistics. You should pay attention to this list if you either drive or walk around your neighborhood often.

Smartphone Proliferation

Before we get into the six reasons for the high pedestrian death rate, you should understand that the numbers are as high as they've been in thirty years. This indicates how serious the situation is. It's not just a one or two-year spike.

You will probably not feel surprised by the first possible reason for this spike: smartphones. More people have them these days. They're remarkable gadgets, capable of doing things like:

  • Texting your friends

  • Locating nearby restaurants and stores that interest you

  • Using various games and apps to entertain you

The problem is that they're so interesting they might steal your attention at just the wrong moment. The same goes for both drivers and pedestrians.

A smartphone distracting a driver might mean they never see a pedestrian who's trying to cross the street at that moment. It might be the pedestrian who is playing a game in that instant and who walks out in the road against the walk light.

Marijuana Legalization

It might seem like we're just using marijuana as a convenient scapegoat. However, there's no denying that it's recreationally legal now in several states, including:

  • Alaska

  • California

  • Colorado

  • Illinois

We could debate whether legalization is a good idea or not, but that's beside the point. With recreational marijuana legal in some states, more people can use it. That's true of both pedestrians and drivers.

This means that it's right up there with smartphones as far as the danger it poses. If you smoke marijuana or ingest edibles, then you're impaired, and you shouldn't drive.

This doesn't stop people from doing it, though. When they do, they have a much higher chance of hitting a pedestrian, not to mention speeding through red lights, failing to yield, and other perilous driving practices.

The same goes for pedestrians. If you're high, you probably won't attend to traffic as much, which can easily prove fatal for you.

Wearables

The wearable is another technological marvel, like the smartphone. There are now Apple Watches, Fitbits, and many cheaper knockoffs and imitations of these bestsellers.

Much like smartphones, they can do all kinds of fun and useful things, like monitor your heart rate and count how many steps you've taken that day. You can use some of them to text or call your friends, just like with a smartphone.

The same danger exists with these as does with smartphones, whether you're a pedestrian or driver. They're just another potential distraction that might make you take your eyes off the road or try to cross against the light.

Covid-19

You might wonder how the pandemic might cause more pedestrian accidents. Surely, there's no relation between the two.

Some researchers feel that the pandemic means more people are walking and running these days than ever before. It actually makes a lot of sense.

Throughout most of this year, gym members have not been able to get their usual workouts in. Some are using Mirrors or Pelotons to work up a sweat at home. However, these are pricey options, and others are simply walking and jogging around their neighborhoods for the first time.

If more people are on the street, it's reasonable that vehicles are hitting more of them. If this is true, it could mean some of these pedestrian accidents might slacken off as the weather gets colder, forcing most people back inside. We'll see if winter's onset drives the numbers back down.

People Walking in Dangerous Places

This reason relates to the previous one. First, Covid-19 lures more people out of doors to exercise. They put on their sneakers and jogging gear and start looking for places to burn off those calories.

If they're running or walking in safe places, this isn't an issue. Some neighborhoods have sidewalks running along every street. Other pedestrians go to public parks, where there are no vehicles on the jogging trails.

Elsewhere, some individuals are seeking safe places to walk or run, and they're not always finding them. They might try to run along busy thoroughfares where there are no sidewalks.

When that happens, it means vehicles hit more pedestrians. It's nearly unavoidable. Some walkers or runners brave heavy traffic to exercise, and when they do, they risk serious injury.

Vehicular Technology Advancements

Many vehicular advancements have hit the market within the past couple of decades. Some cars now come with things like:

  • Lane departure alerts

  • Rear automatic breaking

  • Blind spot detection systems   

In theory, all of these are great, and they'll probably save some lives. The issue is that they can distract some drivers just as much as they help them.

If you're driving, and your lane departure alert is a loud, jarring alarm, it might startle you when it goes off if you're not expecting it. You can jerk the steering wheel suddenly and hit a passing pedestrian who is near your car.

In time, you might acclimate to all these new vehicular toys, but there's little doubt that they're causing some walker and jogger collisions in the meantime.

If you're a pedestrian, you're obliged to look around you at all times when you're out on the sidewalk or in the street. The same goes for drivers. You need to watch out for anyone on foot or on a bicycle who is near you.

We shall see whether this pedestrian accident spike goes down in the months and years to come. In the meantime, we are all responsible for our behavior and need to be careful whether driving or walking.