There are plenty of benefits to be had from walking more.

That simple exercise can help you lose weight, while improving your cardiovascular health. It can help you sleep better and improve your body’s strength. A brisk walk can help reduce joint pains and has been found to help the survival of those who have been stricken with cancer.

But with all those benefits comes risk — so much so, in fact, that it can be deadly.

That was the case for the 7,148 people in the United States who were struck and killed in 2024, according to preliminary numbers released by the Governors Highway Safety Association earlier this summer. To help put that number into perspective, the association said the total represented enough people to 31 Boeing 737s.

While the number might be difficult to comprehend, it was lower than the total recorded in 2023, the association said. That year, 7,472 pedestrians were struck and killed. And while the numbers appear to have dropped last year, they represent a huge increase from the 5,997 pedestrian deaths reported in 2016.

Sadly, pedestrian fatalities accounted for 18 percent of all traffic deaths in 2023, which represents a large increase from the 12.1 percent that they made up in 2009.

The figures show that in 2023, the last year for which complete numbers are available, 18 percent of all people killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians, and 65 percent of those fatal accidents occurred in locations where there was no sidewalk. Night was the most dangerous: 77 percent of pedestrian fatalities that were recorded with known lighting conditions happened after dark.

We all know the dangers of drinking and driving — but drinking and walking can prove hazardous as well. The association’s numbers show that 29 percent of pedestrians who were killed in vehicle crashes had a blood-alcohol concentration higher than the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent.

Pedestrian deaths in our region have generally been dropping. In Ohio, for example, the 128 pedestrian deaths in 2024 were a lot lower than the 151 deaths reported in 2023. Pennsylvania also saw a decrease, with 184 pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2024, down from the 191 reported in 2023.

West Virginia, meanwhile, saw an increase, up to 30 pedestrian deaths in 2024 from the 21 reported in 2023.

The number of pedestrian deaths in Ohio and Pennsylvania have increased since 2019. There were 128 pedestrian deaths in Ohio in 2019, 151 in 2020, 171 in 2021 and 165 in 2022. In Pennsylvania, there were 154 pedestrian deaths in 2019, 146 in 2020, 182 in 2021 and 184 in 2022.

In West Virginia, there were 32 pedestrian deaths in 2019, 18 in 2020, 37 in 2021 and 22 in 2022.

Those numbers are high enough, but when you look at the totals for each state, California had the largest total, with 928 pedestrian deaths, followed by Florida, with 713. Looking at the number of fatalities per 100,000 population, New Mexico has the highest rate (5) with Arizona second (3.65) and South Carolina third (3.51.) Nebraska (0.65) and Minnesota (0.73) had the lowest rates.

Speed was a factor in 8.14 percent of traffic fatalities in 2023, the report shows. And, when it comes to the age, those between 16 and 24 made up the largest number of victims of hit-and-runs, at 29.4 percent. They were followed by those between the ages of 35 and 44 at 28.9 percent, those between the ages of 45 and 54 at 27.2 percent, those between the ages of 25 and 34 at 24.9 percent and those between the ages of 55 and 64 at 24 percent. Totals were 20.1 percent for those between the ages of 65 and 74, 19.7 percent for those up to 15 and 16.2 percent for those 75 and older.

Alcohol is an issue whether you are driving or walking — 40.2 percent of the pedestrian fatalities in the 21-to-24 category had a BAC of 0.08 or higher. The numbers fell to 37.1 percent for those in the 35-44 range, 36 percent for the 25-34 range, 35.3 percent for the 45-54 range and 32 percent in the 55-64 range. Sadly, 26.3 percent of pedestrians killed in the 16-20 range were intoxicated.

Just as unbelievable was the 24.1 percent of the drivers who were involved in fatal pedestrian accidents who were 15 or younger. That was followed by 22.3 percent in the 21-24 group, 18.6 percent in the 16-20 group, 17.8 percent in the 25-34 group, 17.5 percent in the 35-44 group, 17.2 percent in the 45-54 group, 14.9 percent in the 55-64 group, 12.4 percent in the 65-74 group and 9.6 percent in the 75 and older group.

An absence of sidewalks can be deadly, as well, with 65 percent of pedestrian fatalities happening where none were noted.

The report added that while SUVs, pickup trucks and vans make for more comfortable travel, those light trucks were involved in 54.1 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents, while passenger cars were involved in 37.3 percent.

Where those numbers will be going in coming years is anyone’s guess, but communities are taking steps to help minimize vehicle pedestrian accidents. We are seeing that in our region, where a sidewalk was incorporated into the Lovers Lane reconstruction in Steubenville.

This year saw the addition of a sidewalk between the roundabout on Lovers Lane and an area near the entrance of the Fort Steuben Mall.

Another example can be found in the new markings that have been placed at intersections along the repaved portion of Sunset Boulevard that make crosswalks more easily identifiable to drivers.

There’s no reason not to continue to enjoy your daily walk or run. Increased awareness on the part of pedestrians and drivers, as well as improvements in visibility and vigilant enforcement of traffic laws, should continue to make travel safer for everyone.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.)