A few weeks ago I pointed out that overall traffic fatalities both
in our state and nationally declined last year, but at the same time pedestrian
and cyclist fatalities have increased. In Washington we’ve had an increase in
pedestrian and cyclist-involved crashes, but even more concerning is that
pedestrians are dying at a higher rate. In case you missed the previous column,
here’s a quick refresher on the data: In 2013 we had 3118 crashes involving
pedestrians and cyclists, resulting in 63 fatalities. Last year we had 3718
pedestrian/cyclist-involved crashes, resulting in 120 fatalities. That’s a 19
percent increase in crashes, but a 90 percent increase in fatalities.
I don’t have a good answer for why vehicle/pedestrian crashes have
increased, but as I mentioned previously, there is some evidence for why the
fatality rate has shot up. And right now I’m about to alienate about 43 percent
of my audience. A big reason for the increase in pedestrian fatalities can be
blamed on SUVs and pickups. Don’t take this personally; I’m not accusing owners
of SUVs and pickups (or what the industry calls light trucks) of being worse
drivers. Crash rates for SUVs and cars are about the same. The problem lies in
what happens to a pedestrian in a crash.