While the First State saw a slight decline in fatalities in 2020, a report released Tuesday still ranks Delaware among the deadliest states for pedestrians.
Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design 2022 report analyzed federal crash and fatality data from 2016 to 2020 – the latest statistics publicly available – finding Delaware’s pedestrian fatalities declined slightly during the pandemic, averaging 2.89 deaths per 100,000 people from 2016-20.
That represented a 0.42 decline in deaths per 100,000 people from 2016-19, but long-term comparisons between rates from 2011-15 and 2016-20 show little change, keeping Delaware the fifth most dangerous state for pedestrians, the report shows.
New Mexico was at the top with 3.76 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people annually, followed by Florida with 3.22 deaths; South Carolina with 3.19 deaths; and Arizona with 2.98 deaths, according to the report.
Delaware has consistently ranked among the deadliest states for pedestrian safety, and over the past decade, the number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities on the state’s roadways has nearly doubled.
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The First State saw non-motorized fatalities increase from 21 in 2009 to 28 in 2020, according to the latest statistics available through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s online database, with jumps in fatalities throughout those years.
According to the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, there were 31 pedestrian and bicyclist deaths last year. A spokesperson for the office did not respond to a request for the current number of deaths so far this year.
The Dangerous by Design report found that more pedestrians were killed nationwide during the pandemic even with fewer cars on the road.
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Calvin Gladney, president and CEO of Smart Growth America, pointed to the country’s road design as the main problem.
“The number of people killed while walking has increased by nearly two-thirds in the last decade with thousands of Americans struck and killed every year,” Gladney said in a news release. “This is an epidemic and unsafe road design is a major culprit. We need to improve roads so that no one has to risk their life when crossing the street.”
While Delaware continues to be one of the most dangerous for pedestrians, many of its roadways remain unchanged. Instead, the state has opted for smaller, less controversial improvements like median barriers to deter people from crossing multilane streets where there is no crosswalk, adding flashing beacons to alert drivers of pedestrians crossing, or expanding sidewalks or bike paths.
Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling 302-598-5507. Follow her on Twitter at @mandy_fries.
