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Walking is an activity for many area residents
Whether you go out for a leisurely stroll in the morning, enjoy a couple of trips around the block in the afternoon or like to travel through the neighborhood in the early evening, walking can be a great way to get some exercise while spending time outdoors.
A growing number of people, in fact, like to walk to and from work, if they live close enough to make that trip possible.
Walkers can encounter issues, though, especially in neighborhoods like some in our area that lack sidewalks, proper lighting and other infrastructure. All of that can combine to reduce the safety of those on foot and motorists.
A reminder of that came June 26, when the Governors Highway Safety Association issued its annual report detailing Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State. According to the association, there were 7,318 people struck and killed by drivers in 2023. And while that number is 5.4 percent lower than the 40-year high of 7,737 deaths recorded in 2022, it is 14.1 percent higher than the 6,412 deaths seen in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.
Numbers in our region offer a mixed bag when compared with the national statistics.
In Ohio, for instance, there were 151 pedestrian fatalities in 2023. That's 14 fewer, or an 8.5 percent drop, from the 165 deaths seen in 2023. But it's still a lot higher than the 128 deaths seen in 2019, according to the nonprofit association that represents highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Numbers for West Virginia are down as well, with 20 pedestrian fatalities listed during 2023, compared with the 22 deaths seen in 2022. That's a 9.1 percent decrease, and it's much lower than the 32 deaths that were seen in 2019.
Pennsylvania, however, saw an increase -- with 192 deaths in 2023, up from the 184 deaths recorded in 2022. That's an increase of 4.4 percent. It's also a great deal more than the 154 deaths that were seen in 2019.
Raw numbers can sometimes be tough to compare, since there can be a big difference in population among the states.
And when you look at pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents for 2023, Pennsylvania's rate was 1.48 percent, Ohio's was 1.28 percent and West Virginia's was 1.13 percent All three numbers are lower than the national rate of 2.19 percent.
Yet another way to look at the totals, the report shows, is to look at the percentage of pedestrian deaths per vehicle miles traveled. According to the Federal Highway Administration, Americans totaled 3,263.7 billion vehicle miles in 2023, which means there were 2.24 pedestrian deaths per 1 billion vehicle miles traveled,
Colorado had the largest increase in number of deaths -- 29 -- followed by Maryland and Kentucky --which each had 24 more deaths in 2023 than in 2022.
The biggest decreases were in California, which had 151 fewer pedestrian fatalities in 2023 than in 2022, and Arizona, which saw 92 fewer fatalities. Combined, those states had 243 of the 419 total pedestrian deaths seen last year.
It probably should come as no surprise that numbers from 2022 show 78 percent of pedestrian deaths happen at night and 30 percent of those 16 and older had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, as did 19 percent of drivers involved in fatal pedestrian accidents. And, while passenger cars were involved in 39.66 percent of pedestrian fatalities, SUVs were involved in 29.27 percent and pickup trucks were involved in 18.18 percent.
One of the big factors in pedestrian deaths is a lack of sidewalks -- in 2022, 66 percent of pedestrian deaths happened in areas where there was no sidewalk noted in the report, and 76 percent of pedestrian deaths did not occur at an intersection, the report says, adding that sidewalks are missing or are in poor condition in many parts of the country.
In fact, improving -- and installing -- sidewalks is listed among the changes that could reduce pedestrian deaths. It is a suggestion that is among those at the center of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe System approach. And it is designed to minimize the exposure of pedestrians to motor vehicles and mitigate injuries by slowing vehicle speeds around pedestrians.
Another of the efforts is a pedestrian refuge island, which we're seen in Steubenville at the intersection of Woodlawn Road and University Boulevard.
That area has proven to be a problem for pedestrians, because one side sits just past the crest of University Boulevard and the other side sits just beyond a sharp right-hand turn.
There's also a road diet, which the association says can reduce vehicle speeds and the number of lanes pedestrians have to cross. That's what's being discussed as for the portion of Lovers Lane that runs from Welday Street to the intersection with John Scott Highway. A proposal would see that area reduced to one lane in each direction with a turning lane in the middle, wider sidewalks and a bike line. The goal, according to City Engineer Mike Dolak, is to improve safety, reduce speeds, reduce accidents, reduce the severity of accidents and make the streets safer for all users.
It's all aimed at keeping everyone safer and reducing the number of pedestrians who are injured or killed each year.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)