U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Fall 7% in 2025 for Third Straight Year

The number of pedestrians killed in the United States in 2025 fell 7% compared with 2024. Preliminary data compiled by the Governors Highway Safety Association projects 6,732 pedestrian deaths. This marks the third straight annual decline and is fewer than the 7,237 deaths recorded in 2024 and the 7,472 deaths in 2023, according to Safety+Health Magazine.

Annual Totals and Pre-Pandemic Comparison

The 2025 total remains 5% above the 2019 level. GHSA notes that 2019 was the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread changes in traffic patterns and reductions in enforcement.

Vehicle Types and Crash Conditions

Around half (50.4%) of the pedestrian deaths resulted from strikes by light trucks including SUVs, pickups and vans. Another 40.6% involved passenger vehicles. More than 75% of deaths occurred after dark regardless of artificial lighting. Fifteen percent of the deaths occurred on freeways and interstates.

Distracted Driving and Pedestrian Factors

In 2024, 21.7% of pedestrian deaths involved a distracted driver, up from 15.6% in 2019. Distraction on the part of the pedestrian was cited in 29.2% of the fatal crashes, nearly double the 15.3% recorded in 2019. GHSA annually collects data from State Highway Safety Offices for the report, which also includes 2024 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, according to Safety+Health Magazine.