Pedestrian Fatalities On U.S. Roads Hit Almost 30-Year High

U.S. traffic deaths fell 2.4% in 2018 to 36,560 although the number of pedestrians killed rose to its highest level in nearly three decades, the U.S. auto safety agency said Tuesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said traffic deaths fell for the second straight year - down 913 from 2017.

The fatality rate fell by 3.4% to 1.13 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the lowest rate since 2014.

Despite the decrease in overall deaths, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities continue to rise, with deaths of those on foot climbing 3.4% to 6,283 last year.
The number of people killed on roads while using bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles rose 6.3% to 857.

More pedestrians and cyclists were killed in 2018 than in any year since 1990.