More pedestrians died in Massachusetts in 2024 than they did the year before.
In 2024, 78 pedestrians died in crashes, which is up 16% from 2023 when 67 pedestrians were killed.
This trend goes against the national trend in which pedestrian deaths declined for the second consecutive year.
Overall, 7,148 pedestrians were killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2024. That’s down 4.3% from 2023, according to preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
But it’s still 11.5% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when 6,412 pedestrians died, according to AAA. In Massachusetts, 77 pedestrians died in 2019.
“Walking should be a safe and easy way to get around town, but on average, a pedestrian is killed every 72 minutes and injured every 8 minutes across the country,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “To ensure pedestrians get to their destinations safely, drivers should ditch the distractions, slow down near crosswalks and never get behind the wheel impaired.”
Massachusetts had its highest number of pedestrian deaths in the past 10 years in 2022 when 98 pedestrians were killed.
So far this year, 47 pedestrians have died in Massachusetts, including three in the first few days of October.
Alcohol is a significant factor in pedestrian deaths, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The data suggests that 46% of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2023 involved a driver and/or pedestrian with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01 or higher.
But that isn’t the only risk factor.
The majority of pedestrian fatalities occurred in the dark (77%) and nearly 1 out of every 4 (24%) pedestrians were killed by hit-and-run drivers.
AAA encourages people to use crosswalks in well-lit areas and make eye contact with the driver before crossing. The organization also asks drivers to slow down when approaching crosswalks and to look out for pedestrians at all times.
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