Pedestrian Deaths Soar; SUVs, Drug Use, Cellphones May Be Why, Study Says

Warming weather could be one reason why pedestrian fatalities are at the highest rate in 30 years, a report says. More people might be out at night when such deaths are most frequent.

Woman wearing sunglasses and holding a cellphone crosses the street in front of an SUV
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Pedestrians — perhaps distracted by smartphones or strolling more at night due to warming temperatures — are being killed in traffic accidents at the highest rate in 30 years, researchers said Thursday.

About 6,590 pedestrians died in crashes in 2019, up 5% from the year before, according to data collected by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The decade-long trend shows a far sharper increase, NBC News reports.

The number of pedestrian fatalities had fallen over two decades, from 6,870 in 1989 all the way down to 4,109 in 2009, researchers said. Then things changed.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

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