Why Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities Are Increasing

If you're a pedestrian, you may want to wait to read this article until you've finished crossing the street.

That's because 2015 is expected to see the largest year-to-year increase (a projected 10 percent) in pedestrian traffic fatalities since national reporting began in 1975, according to a new report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association.

But that's not all. The report also found that four states accounted for nearly half of all pedestrian deaths. Granted, those four states -- California, Texas, Florida and New York -- do have large, urban areas where many people choose to walk rather than drive. However, "when population is taken into account, the states with the highest fatality rate per 100,000 population were all over the map," the report explained, citing states like New Mexico, Louisiana and South Carolina.

So what's causing the expected increase of pedestrian fatalities? The report cites various reasons, including:

So what's being done to reduce pedestrian fatalities? Check out some of these interesting ideas currently being implemented in states across the country:

It's important to note that the report is just a projected total, however. The GHSA took preliminary data from the first six months of 2015 from all 50 states and the District of Columbia and compared that to the data from the first six months of 2014. By doing so, the government found an increase of six percent in the reported number of fatalities between 2015 and 2014. The non-profit agency then adjusted for under-reporting and calculated the total 10 percent increase for 2015.