DENVER (KDVR) — Look twice before you cross the road. A study found that in past years, Colorado had the highest rate of pedestrian deaths at intersections.
A personal injury law firm, The Schiller Kessler Group, analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding deadly crashes involving pedestrians from 2017-2021.
While Colorado doesn’t have the highest number of total pedestrian deaths, the study finds that Colorado has the highest percentage of deaths at intersections.
Based on the study, a third of pedestrian deaths in Colorado occur at intersections.
Top pedestrian deaths at intersections in US
StatePedestrian Fatalities (2017-2021)At IntersectionsPercentage of Fatalities at IntersectionsColorado43313831.87New York1,31040630.99Utah1925729.69Minnesota2226529.28Hawaii1383726.81Nevada39310025.45Nebraska972424.74Oregon3879524.55New Jersey91622324.34Idaho791924.05(Courtesy of Injured in Florida)
In recent years, Colorado hasn’t improved when it comes to pedestrian deaths.
In the early 2000s, there were around 40 to 70 pedestrian deaths a year. Throughout the past few years, the deaths have been steadily increasing.
The pedestrian death toll in Colorado increased by 12% over the last year, the Colorado Department of Transportation tweeted in October 2023.
While the numbers for 2023 haven’t been released yet, as of October, Colorado was on track to reach an all-time high in pedestrian deaths.
The previous all-time high occurred in 2022 with 115 pedestrian deaths.
