The growing use of mobile phones by drivers and pedestrians is one of the reasons the number of pedestrians killed in traffic crashes increased an estimated 10% in 2015, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) said in a report released today. The report uses preliminary data from highway safety agencies in each state and the District of Columbia. “Comparing the number of pedestrian fatalities for the first six months of 2015 (2,368) with the same time period the previous year (2,232), and adjusting for anticipated underreporting associated with the preliminary data, the researchers anticipate the final 2015 pedestrian fatality total will be approximately 10% higher than in 2014,” the GHSA said. “Along with the increase in pedestrian fatalities, pedestrians now account for a larger share – about 15% of all motor vehicle crash-related deaths ? compared with 11% a decade ago.”

Courtesy TRDaily