Walking along major roads in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region often means navigating long distances between crosswalks, fast-moving multilane traffic, and areas that become nearly invisible after dark. According to a recent Washington Post investigation, these familiar frustrations are part of a broader national pattern that helps explain why pedestrian deaths in the United States have climbed sharply over the past decade.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, between 2010 and 2023, pedestrian fatalities increased by2010 and 2023, pedestrian fatalities increased by 70% — from 4,302 deaths to 7,314 — while other developed nations saw declines of nearly 30 percent. The new analysis, which draws on federal crash data, census records, and thousands of police reports, makes the rise difficult to dismiss as a matter of individual behavior or bad luck. Instead, it shows how certain road designs create conditions where severe crashes are far more likely. For those seeking more background on these types of incidents, our firm maintains a dedicated resource for pedestrian accident lawyers in Washington, D.C.
A Growing Concentration of Deadly Corridors
One of the most striking findings is the rapid growth of what researchers call “hot spots,” places where at least three pedestrians were killed within a one-mile radius. These dangerous corridors tripled between 2010 and 2023, appearing not only in large Sun Belt cities but in communities across the country. Examples from the investigation are dramatic—34 deaths along three miles of Central Avenue in Albuquerque, 36 along a short stretch of Westheimer Road in Houston, 67 along Tampa’s Hillsborough Avenue.
The D.C. region has its own versions. Routes such as New York Avenue NE, segments of Route 1 in Prince George’s County, and stretches of Leesburg Pike illustrate the same pattern: wide roads designed decades ago for through-traffic, later surrounded by homes, retail, and transit access, but never redesigned for the people who now walk along them.
The Common Traits of High-Risk Roads
The roads most associated with fatal crashes tend to share a familiar set of characteristics. They are typically wide—often four to eight lanes—built to move vehicles quickly and efficiently rather than safely. Crosswalks and signals can be spaced a half-mile to a mile apart, pushing many pedestrians to attempt crossings at unmarked locations. Speed limits of 40 mph or more are common, even in areas with significant foot traffic, and actual driving speeds often exceed posted limits. After dark, poor lighting makes it harder for drivers to see people stepping into the roadway and harder for pedestrians to judge oncoming traffic.
These are not isolated quirks. They are design choices, and the investigation makes clear that they produce predictable outcomes.
Who Bears the Brunt
The data also shows the burden is not shared evenly. Fatalities are disproportionately concentrated in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods and in communities with higher poverty rates. Native American and Black pedestrians are killed at significantly higher rates than White pedestrians. Many of these neighborhoods also have high numbers of households without access to a vehicle, meaning residents walk not by choice but necessity—often along the very corridors where crossing safely is most difficult.
Why Crashes Are Becoming Deadlier
The severity of crashes has increased as well. More than half of pedestrian deaths in 2023 involved people who died at the scene, a rate that has more than doubled since 2010. The combination of higher vehicle speeds and today’s larger, heavier vehicles—SUVs and trucks with tall front ends—leads to more catastrophic injuries. Serious trauma, including the types of injuries handled by brain injury lawyers, becomes far more likely at higher speeds. When impact speeds reach 50 mph, survival odds drop below 20%.
Progress Has Been Slow
Despite years of warnings from safety researchers, efforts to redesign dangerous roads have lagged. Many transportation agencies continue to prioritize moving vehicles quickly over protecting pedestrians, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods with less political pressure for change. Federal funding exists for safety improvements, but most infrastructure dollars still aren’t tied to safety outcomes. Meanwhile, policy shifts at the federal level have complicated the issue, including recent decisions to reclaim pedestrian-safety grants criticized as “hostile to motor vehicles.”
What Research Shows Can Help
The solutions themselves are not mysterious. Lowering speed limits on pedestrian-heavy corridors, adding protected crossings more frequently, redesigning intersections to slow turning vehicles, improving lighting, and narrowing excessively wide roadways are among the most effective strategies. The challenge lies in applying these tools consistently and prioritizing safety over convenience.
When Crashes Happen, the Legal Questions Are Broader Than They Seem
Determining liability after a pedestrian accident is rarely straightforward. Drivers have a legal duty to remain alert and exercise reasonable care, but they are not the only ones responsible for safety. Municipalities and property owners play roles as well, from maintaining adequate lighting to ensuring crossings and sidewalks are safe.
Where a road’s design is known to create dangerous conditions—high speeds, long distances between crosswalks, poor visibility—the question of responsibility often extends to the entities that planned, built, or maintained the roadway. Understanding these systemic factors can be crucial for families seeking answers and for building strong legal cases in the aftermath of a tragedy. More details are available through our team of pedestrian accident lawyers.
How Our Firm Approaches These Cases
At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we have represented pedestrian accident victims throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia for decades. Our work goes beyond examining driver behavior; we also investigate how the design and condition of the roadway may have contributed to the crash. Many of the patterns highlighted by this investigation mirror what we routinely uncover in our own cases, including overlaps with cases handled by our car accident lawyers.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, our pedestrian accident lawyers are here to help. Consultations are free and confidential. Call us at 202-659-8600 to discuss your situation.
The Path Forward
The 70% rise in pedestrian deaths over just 13 years demands attention. The evidence shows that many of these deaths occur in environments that could be redesigned to be far safer. Creating streets where people can walk without fear will require sustained investment, political commitment, and a recognition that the way we build roads has real, measurable consequences.
Why Pedestrian Deaths Keep Rising — And What the Latest Data Reveals
Walking along major roads in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region often means navigating long distances between crosswalks, fast-moving multilane traffic, and areas that become nearly invisible after dark. According to a recent Washington Post investigation, these familiar frustrations are part of a broader national pattern that helps explain why pedestrian deaths in the United States have climbed sharply over the past decade.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, between 2010 and 2023, pedestrian fatalities increased by2010 and 2023, pedestrian fatalities increased by 70% — from 4,302 deaths to 7,314 — while other developed nations saw declines of nearly 30 percent. The new analysis, which draws on federal crash data, census records, and thousands of police reports, makes the rise difficult to dismiss as a matter of individual behavior or bad luck. Instead, it shows how certain road designs create conditions where severe crashes are far more likely. For those seeking more background on these types of incidents, our firm maintains a dedicated resource for pedestrian accident lawyers in Washington, D.C.
A Growing Concentration of Deadly Corridors
One of the most striking findings is the rapid growth of what researchers call “hot spots,” places where at least three pedestrians were killed within a one-mile radius. These dangerous corridors tripled between 2010 and 2023, appearing not only in large Sun Belt cities but in communities across the country. Examples from the investigation are dramatic—34 deaths along three miles of Central Avenue in Albuquerque, 36 along a short stretch of Westheimer Road in Houston, 67 along Tampa’s Hillsborough Avenue.
The D.C. region has its own versions. Routes such as New York Avenue NE, segments of Route 1 in Prince George’s County, and stretches of Leesburg Pike illustrate the same pattern: wide roads designed decades ago for through-traffic, later surrounded by homes, retail, and transit access, but never redesigned for the people who now walk along them.
The Common Traits of High-Risk Roads
The roads most associated with fatal crashes tend to share a familiar set of characteristics. They are typically wide—often four to eight lanes—built to move vehicles quickly and efficiently rather than safely. Crosswalks and signals can be spaced a half-mile to a mile apart, pushing many pedestrians to attempt crossings at unmarked locations. Speed limits of 40 mph or more are common, even in areas with significant foot traffic, and actual driving speeds often exceed posted limits. After dark, poor lighting makes it harder for drivers to see people stepping into the roadway and harder for pedestrians to judge oncoming traffic.
These are not isolated quirks. They are design choices, and the investigation makes clear that they produce predictable outcomes.
Who Bears the Brunt
The data also shows the burden is not shared evenly. Fatalities are disproportionately concentrated in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods and in communities with higher poverty rates. Native American and Black pedestrians are killed at significantly higher rates than White pedestrians. Many of these neighborhoods also have high numbers of households without access to a vehicle, meaning residents walk not by choice but necessity—often along the very corridors where crossing safely is most difficult.
Why Crashes Are Becoming Deadlier
The severity of crashes has increased as well. More than half of pedestrian deaths in 2023 involved people who died at the scene, a rate that has more than doubled since 2010. The combination of higher vehicle speeds and today’s larger, heavier vehicles—SUVs and trucks with tall front ends—leads to more catastrophic injuries. Serious trauma, including the types of injuries handled by brain injury lawyers, becomes far more likely at higher speeds. When impact speeds reach 50 mph, survival odds drop below 20%.
Progress Has Been Slow
Despite years of warnings from safety researchers, efforts to redesign dangerous roads have lagged. Many transportation agencies continue to prioritize moving vehicles quickly over protecting pedestrians, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods with less political pressure for change. Federal funding exists for safety improvements, but most infrastructure dollars still aren’t tied to safety outcomes. Meanwhile, policy shifts at the federal level have complicated the issue, including recent decisions to reclaim pedestrian-safety grants criticized as “hostile to motor vehicles.”
What Research Shows Can Help
The solutions themselves are not mysterious. Lowering speed limits on pedestrian-heavy corridors, adding protected crossings more frequently, redesigning intersections to slow turning vehicles, improving lighting, and narrowing excessively wide roadways are among the most effective strategies. The challenge lies in applying these tools consistently and prioritizing safety over convenience.
When Crashes Happen, the Legal Questions Are Broader Than They Seem
Determining liability after a pedestrian accident is rarely straightforward. Drivers have a legal duty to remain alert and exercise reasonable care, but they are not the only ones responsible for safety. Municipalities and property owners play roles as well, from maintaining adequate lighting to ensuring crossings and sidewalks are safe.
Where a road’s design is known to create dangerous conditions—high speeds, long distances between crosswalks, poor visibility—the question of responsibility often extends to the entities that planned, built, or maintained the roadway. Understanding these systemic factors can be crucial for families seeking answers and for building strong legal cases in the aftermath of a tragedy. More details are available through our team of pedestrian accident lawyers.
How Our Firm Approaches These Cases
At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., we have represented pedestrian accident victims throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia for decades. Our work goes beyond examining driver behavior; we also investigate how the design and condition of the roadway may have contributed to the crash. Many of the patterns highlighted by this investigation mirror what we routinely uncover in our own cases, including overlaps with cases handled by our car accident lawyers.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a pedestrian accident, our pedestrian accident lawyers are here to help. Consultations are free and confidential. Call us at 202-659-8600 to discuss your situation.
The Path Forward
The 70% rise in pedestrian deaths over just 13 years demands attention. The evidence shows that many of these deaths occur in environments that could be redesigned to be far safer. Creating streets where people can walk without fear will require sustained investment, political commitment, and a recognition that the way we build roads has real, measurable consequences.
