Study ranks most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Here’s how Macon fared.
Macon ranks No. 10 for pedestrian fatalities among the nation’s 200 largest U.S. cities, a new study shows.
The pedestrian fatality rate for Macon in 2017 was 4.4 per 100,000 people, according to study by 360 Quote, a digital media company. Nationwide, the pedestrian fatality rate in 2017 was 1.7 per 100,000 people, the report found.
Researchers for 360 Quote analyzed pedestrian fatality statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the period 2013-2017 and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
During the five-year reporting period, 34 pedestrian deaths were recorded for Macon, the study found. In all, 27,338 pedestrian fatalities were recorded during for the same reporting period across the nation.
About 76.5% of the pedestrian fatalities in Macon were in low light conditions, which was consistent with the nationwide trend of 76.9% of pedestrian fatalities occurring in low light conditions.
Based on NHTSA data, pedestrian fatalities nationwide are at the highest level in decades, the study found. Pedestrian deaths have increased by 27% during the reporting period.
In nearly half of the crashes in which a pedestrian died, NHTSA data shows the driver and/or the pedestrian had consumed alcohol before the accident, the study said.
Also, widespread use of smartphones was given as a potential explanation for the rise in fatal pedestrian accidents in a 2018 report from the Governors Highway Safety Administration, the study noted.
“Cell phone use quintupled in the period between 2010 and 2017 as pedestrian fatalities also increased significantly,” the 360 Quote study also said. “However, there’s insufficient evidence to establish a definitive causal link between the two trends.”
As of 2017, 16.1 percent of all traffic-related fatalities resulted in pedestrian deaths, the report found.
Among the 20 most dangerous cities for pedestrians, Fort Lauderdale, Florida was ranked No. 1 for the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities, while Dallas, Texas, ranked at No. 20.
Only the top 200 most populous cities in the U.S. were included in the analysis, the study said.
So far, there have been no pedestrian deaths for 2020 in Macon-Bibb County, though there have been two incidents in which a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle and taken to the Medical Center, Navicent Health — one on Monday and the other on Jan. 8, according to Bibb County sheriff’s reports. Also, Tuesday, a bicyclist was struck from behind by a station wagon and taken to the Medical Center.
In 2019, there were 11 pedestrian deaths in Macon-Bibb, down three from 14 recorded for 2018, according to Bibb County Coroner Leon Jones.
Nationwide, Georgia was among five states that accounted for nearly half of the 6,227 pedestrian deaths in 2018, according to a Governors Highway Safety Association report released in late February.
The Macon-Bibb County Pedestrian Safety Review Board is working on a Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate all types of traffic fatalities.
In Bibb County, unsafe conditions for pedestrians and motorists may be reported at Macon-Bibb’s SeeClickFix website.
Here are the 20 most dangerous cities for pedestrians, according to the 360 Quote study:
▪ #1 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
▪ #2 Detroit, Michigan
▪ #3 San Bernardino, California
▪ #4 Phoenix, Arizona
▪ #5 Newark, New Jersey
▪ #6 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
▪ #7 Jackson, Mississippi
▪ #8 Charleston, South Carolina
▪ #9 Birmingham, Alabama
▪ #10 Macon
▪ #11 Albuquerque, New Mexico
▪ #12 Tampa, Florida
▪ #13 Memphis, Tennessee
▪ #14 Atlanta
▪ #15 Miami, Florida
▪ #16 Saint Louis, Missouri
▪ #17 Pomona, California
▪ #18 Orlando, Florida
▪ #19 Jacksonville, Florida
▪ #20 Dallas, Texas
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 8:39 AM with the headline "Study ranks most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Here’s how Macon fared.."