Signature reports
Dangerous by Design
After decades of preventable deaths, insufficient policy change, and broken promises, our streets are still dangerous by design.
Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks all 50 states and the largest 101 metro areas by pedestrian fatality rates. Every one of them is too dangerous for people walking.
Interactive map of pedestrian fatalities
Use our interactive map of U.S. pedestrian deaths to find the most dangerous corridors and intersections near you. Search for your city, county, or state to see all the deaths of people walking since location data started being recorded in 2008.
Key findings
Slightly less deadly is not the same thing as safe. Dangerous by Design 2026 finds that 7,080 people were struck and killed while walking in 2024, over 19 per day. While that represents a modest reduction in fatalities from 2022's historic highs, that number still represents a 72% increase in pedestrian fatalities from 2009, just 15 years ago. As in previous years, we found that not everyone lives and walks with the same risk. Black and Indigenous Americans, older adults, and people walking in low-income communities die at higher rates and face higher levels of risk compared to all Americans. Our nation’s streets are dangerous by design, designed primarily to move cars quickly at the expense of keeping everyone safe. Unfortunately, this crisis will continue to get worse until those in power finally make safety for everyone who uses our roads a top priority.
Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.
© 2026 Smart Growth America. All rights reserved
Site By3Lane Marketing
