Dangerous By Design: States with Highest Average Annual Fatalities per 100,000 People 65 and Older
| Dangerous By Design: Full Rankings and Tables | ||
| Table 1: | Most Dangerous Metro Areas (Over 1 Million in Population) | |
| Table 2: | Top 10 Metros with Highest Share of Pedestrian Fatalities | |
| Table 3: | Highest Avg. Fatalities per 100k People Age 65 and Older (by State) | |
| Table 4: | Metros > 1m With Highest Yearly Spending on Pedestrians | |
| Table 5: | State Pedestrian Fatalities & Federal Spending on Walking & Biking | |
| Appendix C: | All 360 Metros with Pedestrian Danger Index Grouped by State | |
| Appendix A: | Methodology | |
Older Americans are two-thirds more likely to be killed while walking than those under 65 years of age. In 2007 and 2008, 1,706 pedestrians aged 65 years or older were killed in traffic crashes. Older pedestrians represent 18 percent of all pedestrian fatalities though that age cohort comprises only 13 percent of the total population in 2008. The oldest pedestrians (75 years and older) suffered from pedestrian fatality rates of 2.69 per 100,000 capita, a rate nearly twice the national average for those under 65 years of age. States with the highest number of pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people aged 65 and older are Hawaii, followed by California and New York.
The higher fatality rate for older pedestrians can probably be attributed to several factors: 1) older pedestrians have a higher risk of death than young people given the same severity of injury; 2) older pedestrians are more likely to have perceptual, sensory and cognitive impairments that decrease their ability to avoid oncoming traffic; and, 3) existing pedestrian infrastructure, such as the duration of crosswalk signals, ignores the needs of older walkers. Recognizing that pedestrian safety is a critical issue for their members, AARP has endorsed Complete Streets policies that take older pedestrians into account. The AARP is also encouraging states to implement the Federal Highway Administration’s roadway engineering guidelines for older drivers and pedestrians. Over the coming decades, the number of older Americans aged 65 and up is expected to increase from 12 percent in 2005, to 18 percent in 2025, requiring new approaches that reflect the challenges that frequently affect people’s mobility as they age.
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Table 3: Highest Average Annual Fatalities per 100,000 People 65 and Older |
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| Rank | State | Fatalities per 100,000 People 65+ (2007-2008) |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Average | 2.33 | ||
| 1 | Hawaii | 6.97 | |
| 2 | California | 3.91 | |
| 3 | New York | 3.73 | |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 3.40 | |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 3.28 | |
| 6 | Nevada | 3.28 | |
| 7 | Florida | 3.21 | |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 3.18 | |
| 9 | Idaho | 3.08 | |
| 10 | New Jersey | 3.06 | |
