Average 30,500 Pedestrians Died Annually in Road Accidents Between 2019 and 2024

More than 180,000 pedestrians were killed in road crashes across India between 2019 and 2024, with an average of over 30,500 deaths a year. The National Highway network accounted for nearly 31% of all pedestrian fatalities in India during the same period.

Pedestrian Fatalities in India

Pedestrian fatalities are deaths of people walking on roads, footpaths, crossings, or road shoulders after a road crash. In India, the National Highway network is a major location for such deaths because highways carry high-speed traffic and long-distance vehicles.

Pedestrian Deaths in the United States

In 2024, 7,080 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, while the Governors Highway Safety Association projected 7,148 deaths for the same year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded a 3.9% decline from 2023, and 2024 became the second consecutive year of decrease.

Important Facts for Exams

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the federal agency that tracks road crash deaths in the United States.
• The Governors Highway Safety Association is a non-profit organisation that works with state highway safety offices in the United States.
• India’s National Highway network forms part of the national road system under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• Pedestrian deaths in the United States in 2024 remained above the 2019 level of 6,200 deaths.

Global Comparison and Risk Pattern

The U.S. pedestrian death rate in 2022 was 2.33 per 100,000 population, which was about three times the median rate of 27 other high-income countries. More than three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities in the United States occur after dark, and nighttime crashes rose 84% between 2010 and 2023.

Age Pattern in Pedestrian Deaths

In the United States, adults aged 35 to 64 years accounted for more than half of all pedestrian fatalities. People aged 35 to 44 years had the highest per-capita death rate in 2025.

Recent Trend in 2025

In the first six months of 2025, drivers struck and killed 3,024 people walking in the United States. This figure was 10.9% lower than the same period in 2024.