MARYLAND — Pedestrian fatalities in Maryland increased slightly in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary data released by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
This is the fifth consecutive year that pedestrian fatalities have increased in the state.
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In the first half of 2023, 2,373 people were hit and injured by motorists in the United States, a decrease of 153 people from the same period last year, a decrease of just 4%, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. , whose members represent state highway safety offices.
According to the report, 75 pedestrians were killed in Maryland in the first half of 2023, an increase of four from the first half of 2022, a change of 5.63 percent. The report includes historical data on pedestrian fatalities from January to June and found that:
2019 (final): 49 pedestrians killed
2020 (final): 56 pedestrians killed
2021 (final): 63 pedestrians killed
2022 (Actual): 71 pedestrians killed
2023 (tentative value): 75 pedestrians killed
The analysis found that in 30 states, including Washington, D.C., pedestrian fatalities decreased in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, but in 18 states pedestrian fatalities increased from the previous period. . The number of pedestrian deaths remained unchanged in the three states.
Still, the number of pedestrians killed by drivers has increased by 14% since 2019, the year before the pandemic upended travel patterns. According to this year’s final data, the number of people killed while walking will reach more than 7,500 in 2022, the highest level in 40 years.
Despite the decline, pedestrian fatalities increased by a staggering 58 percent from the first half of 2013 to the same period in 2023.
The report said multiple factors are involved in the deadly conditions on America’s roads. Since 2020, speeding, dangerous driving, and other dangerous driving habits have become rampant due to a significant reduction in traffic enforcement nationwide.
At the same time, roadways are designed for fast-moving traffic rather than low-speed driving that is safe for pedestrians, the report said, and many areas of the country lack sidewalks and crosswalks, and lighting to protect pedestrians. It was pointed out that this was insufficient.
