Pedestrian fatalities in darkness: What do we know, and what can be done?

Abstract

An alarming, consistent increase in U.S. pedestrian fatalities since 2009 culminated in a 28-year high of 6,283 pedestrians killed in 2018. Yet these numbers obscure a second alarming trend: 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur in darkness, and nearly 90% of the increase in pedestrian fatalities from 2009 to 2018 occurred in darkness.This paper examines data on pedestrian fatalities at the national level and pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries in California from 2012 to 2017 to better understand correlates of severe pedestrian injuries in darkness. Binary and multinomial logit models reveal that variables related to roadway design and operations (e.g., speed limits, number of lanes, roadway type, and presence of traffic control) – but not speeding – are significantly associated with the likelihood of a pedestrian fatality or serious injury occurring in darkness as compared to daylight. Critically, these factors – which were consistent for fatalities regardless of lighting presence and roadway type, with few exceptions – are all worse in darkness because they are negatively affected by a lack of visibility. Alcohol usage by drivers or pedestrians and sociodemographic characteristics were also positively associated with severe injuries in darkness.Our findings urge an explicit consideration of pedestrian safety in darkness in all future design and retrofit decisions, and particularly on higher-speed, multi-lane roadways. Immediate solutions include roadway designs and policies that slow drivers, particularly at night, and that increase illumination and driver attention, such as through additional roadway lighting, high-visibility countermeasures and protected crossings, and adaptive lighting and detection technology for vehicles.