Report: Pedestrian crashes continue to rise

Data: 245 people killed in car accidents in 2018

Arizona recorded 1,764 motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians in 2018, continuing a trend of such crashes increasing in recent years, according to a report issued by the state Department of Transportation in June.

Of those crashes, 242 involved fatalities, killing 245 people. Some of the crashes involved more than one pedestrian victim.

In 2017, there were 226 pedestrian fatalities, the reports said. The number of crashes involving pedestrians overall has increased by more than 1,000 between 2016 and 2018, according to the report.

The 2018 number is a significant jump from the 155 fatalities recorded in 2014 — a roughly 63% increase in four years.

The Arizona Republic reported in April data for all pedestrian deaths from 2010 to 2017. ADOT’s 2018 crash report data, showing a heightened number of pedestrian deaths, confirms the trend is still continuing.

Despite the fact that pedestrian crashes make up only 1.39% of the total number of crashes, and bicycle crashes just 1.01% of the total, they account for nearly a quarter of the 1,010 people killed in motor vehicle crashes each year.

Phoenix Police Sgt. Vince Lewis said it’s difficult to identify a single pattern or cause for most pedestrian crashes.

“There are a lot of factors that go into that car and the pedestrian meeting at the same time,” Lewis said.

Some of these factors, Lewis said, included speed of the vehicle, lighting in the area, time of day (most occurred at night), pedestrians wearing dark clothing and impairment of either the pedestrian or vehicle’s driver.

Lewis also said many of the crashes occurred “mid-block,” meaning someone was crossing a road away from an intersection where a traffic signal or stop sign is more likely in place. The Republic’s investigation into pedestrian deaths confirmed where high-pedestrian crash areas were in Phoenix, and midblock crashes were an issue.

“You as a pedestrian are putting (yourself) in a position where drivers are not expecting you to be,” Lewis said.

The Republic’s report showed the city has been slow to address installing new crosswalks or other measures in these areas.

Alberto Gutier, director of the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said speeding, reckless or distracted driving, along with impairment, all are contributing factors in may crashes.

However, he said another key reason for the increase might have to do with the fact that “a lot of intersections all over the Valley are not marked” with cross walks or traffic-control devices.

Gutier said increased traffic congestion in the Phoenix area has also contributed.

“More people on the roads trying to get to work on time,” he said. “What’s the hurry?”

In 2018, 91.67% of pedestrian crashes occurred in urban areas, with Maricopa County accounting for 74.9% of pedestrian deaths in 2018.