Running the Numbers

Abstract

This article summarizes statistics regarding pedestrian crash injuries in the state of North Carolina. This authors report characteristics of the pedestrian–motor vehicle crashes that were reported statewide for the 5-year period from 2007-2011, and include age, sex, and race/ethnicity of the people involved in the crashes, temporal and environmental factors, and type of roadway. Data used are from the Division of Motor Vehicles Crash Database, North Carolina Department of Transportation, a database of police crash reports. The authors present data from all crashes classified as reportable pedestrian crashes (those that involve greater than $1,000 in property damage and/or a personal injury), and include all road types (ie, state and local maintained roads). The authors note that pedestrian crashes tend to be especially serious. During this 5-year interval, more than 9% of pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle in North Carolina were killed, whereas the fatality rate for all crash-involved people (mostly drivers and passengers) was only 0.3% over the same time period. The authors conclude with a section of recommendations for improving pedestrian safety, including the use of engineering countermeasures and street redesign, as well as safety-related programs. Readers are referred to a new pedestrian safety campaign called Watch For Me NC (http://www.watchformenc.org).