District of Columbia Fatal Pedestrian Accident Statistics

District of Columbia Fatal Pedestrian Accident Statistics

Fatal Accident Statistics

In the year 2015, there was 23 motor vehicle accident related fatalities.  This equates to 3.4 deaths per 100,000 citizens, and .65 deaths per 100,000 miles traveled on the roadway.  According to the National Safety Council, there was a decrease in car collision deaths in the District of Columbia during the period of January 2015 through June 2015 when compared with the same period in 2014.  D.C. and only 14 other states were the only ones found to have a decrease in auto accident fatalities during this time period.

Pedestrian Fatalities

According to the Governors Highway Safety Administration, across the United States as a whole, pedestrian deaths rose about 11% from 2015 to 2016.  Of the 23-vehicle collision related deaths in 2015 in the District of Columbia, 57% percent of these were pedestrians.  This percentage of 57% of all motor vehicle fatalities was higher than the percentage in any state, with 13 pedestrian fatalities.

When comparing pedestrian deaths in the first half of 2015 to the first half of 2016, there was a significant decrease in pedestrian deaths in 2016.  The exact figures show that there were seven pedestrian deaths from January 2015 through June 2015, while in 2016 there were just three pedestrian fatalities from the period of January 2016 through June 2016.  

Factors In Pedestrian Accidents

Some of the most common reasons for pedestrian motor vehicle accidents in D.C. are distracted driving (text messaging or talking on the phone), and driving or walking under the influence of alcohol.  Pedestrians are at a higher risk of being injured or even killed in motor vehicle accidents when they are under the influence of alcohol.  This alcohol use can impair their judgment, and they may make decisions to walk outside of crosswalks or dart around vehicles into oncoming traffic without fully being able to appreciate the potential consequences.

The Approach to Reduce Pedestrian Fatalities

D.C. has enacted a program called Vision Zero.  The goal of Vision Zero is to reduce all traffic fatalities in by the year 2024.  Vision Zero seeks to redesign streets and also to implement new physical changes such as additional traffic lights.  It is thought that these changes will help to reduce traffic deaths.  To meet its goal, D.C. must reduce traffic deaths by 35% every year through 2024.

It has also created a special task force to investigate each fatal crash.  The goal of this is to determine what specific factors lead to the crashes, such as whether the accident involved distracted driving, alcohol impairment or any other factors. This analysis will determine what reaction would produce the best result to eliminate the most car accident fatalities, whether it is redesigning the road or to add more traffic control devices.


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