By Changez Ali,\u2009\u2009AP via Washington Post
\nCOLLEGE PARK, Md. \u2014 Last year was the deadliest year for pedestrians in the United States since 1996, according to a report by the Governor\u2019s Highway Safety Association, which collects and analyzes data from state highway safety offices.
\nPreliminary data show that 5,997 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents, an 11 percent increase from 2015, the report says.
\nThe increase is part of a longer-term upward trend: Pedestrian fatalities increased 12 percent between 2006 and 2015 from 4,795 to 5,376, even while the total number of traffic fatalities decreased by 18 percent from 42,708 to 35,092 during that period. Pedestrians now account for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities [B’ Spokes: That’s 22.9% of all traffic fatalities for Maryland].
\n\u201cSurvivability is greatly improved in cars but the human body has not changed, so humans are as susceptible as before,\u201d said association spokeswoman Kara Macek.
\nDriver and pedestrian error are a factor in many accidents. But recent research also blames a lack of engineering for safe walking environments — and two studies published in the past year say that\u2019s particularly true in low-income and immigrant neighborhoods.
\n…
\nhttps:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/walking-across-the-street-is-becoming-more-dangerous\/2017\/05\/17\/b5e89d1a-3b35-11e7-a59b-26e0451a96fd_story.html<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Changez Ali,\u2009\u2009AP via Washington Post COLLEGE PARK, Md. \u2014 Last year was the deadliest year for pedestrians in the United States since 1996, according to a report by the Governor\u2019s Highway Safety Association, which collects and analyzes data from state highway safety offices. Preliminary data show that 5,997 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents, … <\/p>\n