Here’s How Rhode Island Ranks For Pedestrian Traffic Deaths

Rhode Island had one of the lowest rates of pedestrian traffic deaths in the first six months of 2018 of any state in the United States, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The safety organization looked at pedestrian traffic deaths in every state to see which had the highest rates. The group then broke down the information by total number of fatalities, fatality rates per 100,000 people, and the percent change from the same time period in 2017.

Rhode Island has one of the lowest pedestrian traffic fatality rates in the nation.

• Number of pedestrian traffic deaths: 4
• Pedestrian traffic fatalities per 100,000: .40
• Percent change from 2017 to 2018: -60 percent

The study found that based on the number of pedestrian fatalities during the first six months of 2018, along with reports from prior years, there were a projected 6,227 pedestrian deaths in 2018, which is an estimated 4 percent increase from 2017.

Rhode Island is working to address the growing problem.

"Rhode Island has created a law enforcement pedestrian safety training, which all agencies requesting funding for pedestrian projects are required to attend. The training offers best practices, data and a review of pedestrian statutes and policies," the report said. "A training course is also available for businesses and their employees, which offers some of the same information and data. Infrastructure measures include road diets and statewide mitigation programs focused on curves, signalized intersections and high-risk crosswalks. "

You’ll want to be extra careful walking alongside a road in New Mexico. The state finished with the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the nation, with 2.26 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Pedestrian fatality rates have been on the increase in the United States. The number of deaths increased by 35 percent in recent years, going from 4,414 total deaths in 2008 to 5,977 deaths in 2017, according to the safety administration.

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause for the uptick, the government highway group sites the national shift away from passenger cars to larger trucks and the growth of smartphone use as two possible reasons.

There were some improvements in 2018:

• Pedestrian deaths during the first half of 2018 declined in 23 states compared with the same period in 2017.
• Six states had double-digit declines in both the number and percent change in pedestrian fatalities from 2017.
• Three states reported two consecutive years of a declining number of pedestrian deaths.

Here are the 10 states with the most pedestrian traffic deaths in the first half of 2018:

1. California: 432
2. Florida: 330
3. Texas: 298
4. Georgia: 133
5. Arizona: 125
6. New York: 117
7. North Carolina: 102
8. Pennsylvania: 90
9. Illinois: 80
10. Louisiana: 77

Patch reporter Gus Saltonstall contributed to this report.