Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Massachusetts
As of 2015, the recorded population of the state was 6,794,422 people. Five years prior, the population was sitting at 6,547,629 people. Lastly, during 2005, the recorded population of Massachusetts was 6,398,743 people. When comparing these statistics side by side, you can see that over the past ten years the population of Massachusetts has been growing at a reasonably consistent rate.
The statistics below indicate the number of accidents, deaths and deaths per 100,000 individuals during the stated year. When you analyze these numbers, you see that over the past ten years the number of fatal accidents and fatalities have significantly decreased, even though the population of Massachusetts has been increasing.
- 2005, 418 accidents resulted in 442 deaths, or 6.9 people per 100,000
- 2007, 390 accidents resulted in 417 deaths, or 6.5 people per 100,000
- 2009, 308 accidents resulted in 334 deaths, or 5.1 people per 100,000
- 2010, 299 accidents resulted in 314 deaths, or 4.8 people per 100,000
- 2011, 321 accidents resulted in 337 deaths, or 5.1 people per 100,000
- 2013, 309 accidents resulted in 326 deaths, or 4.9 people per 100,000
- 2015, 291 accidents resulted in 306 deaths, or 4.5 people per 100,000
Yet, deaths of the most vulnerable road users have increased. In fact, 72 people were killed in Massachusetts in 2015 as they were jogging, walking along a road, and even standing to wait for a bus. These deaths accounted for 24 percent of the total number of people who died in traffic-related crashes that year, far above the national average of 15 percent. Five years prior, the number of pedestrians killed equaled 18 percent of the total number of car crash fatalities, while in 2005, pedestrian deaths accounted for 17 percent of the total. These statistics show that the state needs to do more to protect the lives of all road users.