Main Points

• Emergency physicians see thousands of pedestrians injured every year.
• In 2008, 69,000 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes and nearly 5,000 (4,378) were killed. A pedestrian is injured every eight minutes and one is killed every two hours.
• Alcohol involvement — for driver or pedestrian — was reported in nearly half of all traffic crashes resulting in pedestrian deaths. In one-third of pedestrian fatalities, the pedestrian is intoxicated.
• Everyone is only one step away from a medical emergency.

Who is at risk for pedestrian injury and death?

More than two-thirds of pedestrians (70 percent) who died were males. About one-fifth of children between the ages  5 and 9 who died in traffic crashes are pedestrians. Children ages 15 and younger account for 22 percent of all pedestrians injured in traffic crashes. Older pedestrians (over age 65) account for 18 percent of all pedestrian fatalities and 10 percent of all pedestrian injuries (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration).

When do pedestrian deaths and injuries happen?

Thirty-eight percent of all young (under age 16) pedestrian fatalities occur between 3 and 7 p.m. Pedestrian deaths are more likely to occur Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays than on other days; nearly half (49 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on these days.

More pedestrians die on New Year’s Day than on any other day of the year (Injury Prevention).

Halloween is the most dangerous day of the year for pedestrian injuries and deaths among children. Children are walking at night and in costumes, which may impede their vision and create tripping hazards.

How often is alcohol involved in a pedestrian injury or death?

Alcohol involvement, either by a driver or pedestrian, was reported in nearly half (48 percent) of traffic crashes that resulted in pedestrian fatalities in 2008. Thirty-six percent of pedestrians killed in traffic accidents had blood alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher. Thirteen percent of drivers had .08 blood alcohol concentrations. In 6 percent of accidents, both the driver and pedestrian were intoxicated.

Is cell phone use associated with pedestrian injuries?

This is a growing trend. The rate of pedestrian injuries resulting from walking while using a cell phone, either to talk or to text, doubled from 2006 to 2007 and doubled again in 2008. According to a 2008 Ohio State University study, pedestrians accounted for 1,000 emergency department visits.

How can pedestrian injury and death be prevented?

To prevent injury and death, pedestrians should:

• Use sidewalks. Know and obey safety rules.
• Cross only at intersections and crosswalks and only with a green light.
• Look left, right and left again for traffic before stepping off the curb.
• Be alert and aware when you are crossing the street. Do not be distracted by cell phones, PDAs or headsets.
• See and be seen. Walk facing traffic.
• Closely watch children and teach them  safety rules. For suggestions on how to make Halloween a safer holiday, check out ACEP's fact sheet on Halloween safety
• Use the "Walkability Checklist," available from NHTSA, which helps community members determine the safety of their neighborhood walkways and take action to make them safer.

For more information, visit www.EmergencyCareForYou.org.