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North Carolina
Pedestrian Crash Facts2006 - 2010
Prepared for
The North Carolina Department of TransportationDivision of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
Prepared by
The University of North CarolinaHighway Safety Research Center
September 2012
Contents
Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 General Trends .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 Where NC Pedestrian Crashes Occur ............................................................................................................................ 8 Pedestrian Characteristics ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Pedestrian Age ......................................................................................................................................................... 12 Pedestrian Gender ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Pedestrian Race/Ethnicity ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Pedestrian Injury Severity ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Pedestrian Alcohol Use ............................................................................................................................................ 16
Driver and Vehicle Characteristics ............................................................................................................................... 17 Driver Age ................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Driver Gender .......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Driver Race/Ethnicity ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Driver Injury Severity ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Driver Alcohol Use ................................................................................................................................................... 20 Vehicle Type............................................................................................................................................................. 20
Temporal and Environmental Factors ......................................................................................................................... 22 Month of Year .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Day of the Week ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 Time of Day .............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Light Condition......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Weather ................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Roadway Characteristics .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Roadway Classification ............................................................................................................................................ 26 Road Type/ Configuration ........................................................................................................................................ 27 Number of Through Lanes ....................................................................................................................................... 27 Speed Limit .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Table of Figures
Figure 1. From 2006-2010, the average annual number of crashes reported has been about 3% higher than for
2001 – 2005.. ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 3. Five-year pedestrian crash trends by region of NC. ........................................................................................ 6 Figure 4. Percentage of NC pedestrian crashes by pedestrian age range, 2006-2010. ............................................... 13 Figure 5. NC Pedestrian crashes by month of year, 2006-2010. ................................................................................. 23 Figure 6. NC Pedestrian crashes by day of the week, 2006-2010. ............................................................................... 23 Figure 7. NC pedestrian crashes by time of day, 2006-2010. ...................................................................................... 24 Figure 8. NC pedestrian crashes by light condition, 2006-2010. ................................................................................. 25 Figure 9. NC Pedestrian crashes by weather condition, 2006-2010. ........................................................................... 25 Figure 10. Road configuration and pedestrian crashes, 2006-2010. ........................................................................... 27 Figure 11. Pedestrian crashes by number of through traffic lanes. ............................................................................ 28 Figure 12. NC pedestrian crashes by posted speed limit of roadway. ......................................................................... 29
Table of Tables
Table 1. Five-year pedestrian crash injury levels.. ......................................................................................................... 7 Table 2. NC pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by crash area development extent. ..................................................... 8 Table 3. NC pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by area development type. .................................................................. 9 Table 4. Twelve NC counties with highest numbers of pedestrian crashes from 2006 to 2010 and average yearly
population-based crash rates. ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Table 5. Ten NC cities with highest numbers of pedestrian crashes from 2006-2010. ............................................... 11 Table 6. Age group of pedestrians involved in crashes. .............................................................................................. 12 Table 7. Pedestrian gender for those involved in crashes. .......................................................................................... 14 Table 8. Pedestrian race/ethnicity for those involved in crashes. ............................................................................... 15 Table 9. Pedestrian use of alcohol. .............................................................................................................................. 16 Table 10. Age of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians. ................................................................................... 17 Table 11. Gender of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians. ............................................................................ 18 Table 12. Race/ Ethnicity of drivers involved in pedestrian crashes. .......................................................................... 19 Table 13. Suspected alcohol use among drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians.............................................. 20 Table 14. Vehicle types involved in crashes with pedestrians. .................................................................................... 21 Table 15. Pedestrian crashes by roadway classification. ............................................................................................. 26
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
5
General Trends
Over the past ten years, 24,714 collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles have been
reported to North Carolina authorities. The total pedestrian collisions rose fairly steadily from
2000 to 2004, after which the trend has leveled off. After decreases in reported crashes for
2008 and 2009,1 the number of pedestrian crashes reported in 2010 was 117 more than in
2009, representing a 5% one-year increase (Figure 1).
Figure 1. From 2006-2010, the average annual number of crashes reported has been about 3% higher
than for 2001 – 2005. Numbers in the chart are total urban and rural crashes reported.
Most of the rise in crashes over the decade has occurred in urban areas with a leveling off of
crashes observed in rural areas . Unfortunately, exposure data are lacking that might help to
explain these trends in reported crashes. Increasing urbanization of the State could potentially
contribute to the trend as well as an increasing trend of walking in cities and towns relative to
unincorporated areas.
1 Statewide, annual Vehicle Miles Traveled increased by 1.1% from 101.5 billion, to 102.6
billion from 2008 to 2009 for example, so a reduction in driving would not seem to explain
the drop in pedestrian crashes from 2008 to 2008. We lack sufficient data to know how the
amounts of walking may vary by year. There were also concerns by State officials that the
reporting of crashes for 2009 was not as complete compared to prior years.
6
The amount of walking would have the greatest impact on collision rates involving pedestrians,
but we lack data on amounts of walking in NC to compare between years. Another risk factor
would be motor vehicle traffic volumes. Motorized vehicle miles traveled declined on average
across the State (but not uniformly by county) in 2008 compared to 2007 for example. It is
possible that increases in walking (and bicycling) may have somewhat offset the decrease in
motorized travel, but again, there are no data to verify this conjecture.
Nearly two-thirds (60%) of reported pedestrian collisions from 2006 to 2010 occurred within
the counties in the Piedmont region, with 29% in the Coastal Plain counties, and the remaining
11% in the Mountain region of the State. (Crash trends by region are shown in Figure 2.) The
Piedmont region also accounts for most of the year-to-year fluctuations in crash numbers.
Figure 2. Five-year pedestrian crash trends by region of NC.
On average, 168 pedestrians were killed and another 187 were reported seriously injured in
each of the past five years with thousands more suffering evident or possible injuries (Table 1).∗
There seems to be a declining trend in disabling (A-type) injuries for the past two years.
∗ The number of pedestrians killed and injured reflects only the “first” pedestrian reported on in the crash. A few
crashes each year involve multiple pedestrians, and may include multiple injuries and fatalities. For example, in
2007, one collision resulted in 8 pedestrian fatalities. These circumstances are relatively rare, however, and in
order not to over-represent the number of crashes, the data contained in this report account for only the first
pedestrian, who was also verified as a pedestrian during review of the crash reports.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
7
However, there were 19 more fatal pedestrian crashes in 2010 than in 2009, and the largest
number since 2006.
Table 1. Five-year pedestrian crash injury levels. (Counts are of crashes, with injury level of the first
pedestrian in each crash).
Pedestrian
Injury 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
K: Killed 182 167 165 153 172 839
7.6 1 6.8 6.8 6.6 7 7
2
A: Disabling
Injury
211 215 190 161 159 936
8.9 8.8 7.9 6.9 6.5 7.8
B: Evident
Injury
876 954 929 842 922 4523
36.7 39 38.4 36.3 37.6 37.6
C: Possible
Injury
942 982 996 1022 1014 4956
39.5 40.2 41.2 44 41.3 41.2
O: No Injury 173 127 139 143 187 769
7.3 5.2 5.7 6.2 7.6 6.4
Total 2384 2445 2419 2321 2454 12,023
4
19.8 3 20.3 20.1 19.3 20.4
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first pedestrian in crash less any cases with missing or unknown data
The remainder of this report summarizes the location types, person, time, environmental and
roadway characteristics for the 12,544 pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes that were reported
Statewide for 2006 - 2010. The number equates to approximately 2.7 pedestrian crashes per
10,000 residents Statewide. The information described in this report, and similar information
developed for local communities, can aid in the targeting of resources and countermeasures to
address pedestrian safety problems. Descriptions of the types of crashes, or events leading up
to the crash, are provided in the companion Pedestrian Crash Types Summary report.
These data may include non-injury collisions with low property damage which were not
officially “reportable” but had been reported to the State Division of Motor Vehicles. Non-
reportable collisions may not be included in other State crash statistics; however, since under-
reporting of pedestrian crashes is common, any “non-reported” collisions that involved
pedestrians were retained. As with all crash data, the reported numbers in the crash
characteristics that follow undoubtedly reflect some error, including errors or gaps in reporting,
as well as errors made during data entry and coding.
8
Where NC Pedestrian Crashes Occur
As illustrated in figure 1, more than two-thirds (71%) of NC pedestrian collisions over the past
five years occurred within municipal (urban) limits, with 30% in unincorporated areas of the
State (designated as rural). However, 54% of pedestrian fatalities occurred in rural areas. These
data are coded based on whether the crash was indicated as occurring within municipal
boundaries (urban), or not (rural), and may not accurately reflect area land use. The
percentage of collisions occurring in urban areas seems to be increasing slightly over time as
69% were reported to be urban in 2006 and nearly 73% in 2009 and 2010.
When looking at development density, as coded by the reporting enforcement agencies, the
picture becomes even more weighted toward pedestrian crashes occurring in at least
somewhat developed areas, with 84% of crashes occurring in areas that are at least 30 percent
developed (mixed + urban) and only 16% indicated to occur in areas that are less than 30%
developed (rural) (Table 2).
The areas that are between 30 and 70% developed may represent areas in transition, where
infrastructure is often still more rural in nature and traffic speeds remain high, while traffic
volumes and roadway complexity are increasing.
Table 2. NC pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by crash area development extent.
Locality 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Rural (<30%
Developed)
369 405 354 341 379 1848
14.8 1 15.8 14.1 14 14.9 14.7
2
Mixed (30%
To 70%
Developed)
385 364 353 349 353 1804
15.5 14.2 14 14.4 13.9 14.4
Urban (>70%
Developed)
1736 1791 1812 1739 1814 8892
69.7 70 71.9 71.6 71.2 70.9
Total 2490 2560 2519 2429 2546 12,544
19.9 3 20.4 20.1 19.4 20.3 100
1 Row percent of column total
2 Row total percent of total
3 Column total percent of total
Reflecting the information on development extent, 49% of pedestrian crashes, on average,
occurred in areas indicated as commercial districts, 36% in residential areas (together 85%),
11% in areas designated as farms, woods, or pasture, and with smaller percentages in
institutional (3.5%) and industrial areas (0.5%) (Table 3).
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
9
Table 3. NC pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes by area development type.
Development Type 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Farms, Woods,
Pastures
272 308 260 262 266 1368
10.9 1 12 10.3 10.8 10.4 10.9
2
Residential 896 911 913 843 945 4508
36 35.6 36.2 34.7 37.1 35.9
Commercial 1222 1258 1247 1215 1229 6171
49.1 49.1 49.5 50 48.3 49.2
Institutional 87 71 91 96 90 435
3.5 2.8 3.6 4 3.5 3.5
Industrial 13 12 8 13 16 62
0.5 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5
Total 2490 2560 2519 2429 2546 12,544
19.9 3 20.4 20.1 19.4 20.3 100
1 Row percent of column total
2 Row total percent of total
3 Column total percent of total
Twelve counties are included in the list of counties with the highest numbers of pedestrian-
motor vehicle crashes for the recent five-year period. Each of these counties reported at least
200 crashes and several of the counties were very close in number (Table 4). The 12 counties
accounted for 61% of NC’s reported pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes. Most of the counties in
the list are highly urbanized. Thus, the high crash counties are, to a large extent, reflections of
where more people live in the State. However, the crash rates based on population do vary
among the high crash frequency counties from a low of 1.8 per 10,000 residents (Forsyth Co.) to
a high of 4.3 per 10,000 (Mecklenburg Co.). The average is 3.5 / 10,000 residents for these 12
counties. The county-level differences may reflect differences in extent of urbanization and
proximity of destinations, amounts or locations of walking by residents and visitors in the
different counties, in addition to other exposure and risk factors.
10
Table 4. Twelve NC counties with highest numbers of pedestrian crashes from 2006 to 2010 and
average yearly population-based crash rates.
County
Five-year
crash count
Percent of NC
total (12,544)
Average 1-
year count
July 2008
population
estimate
Avg. yearly
crash rate /
10,000
residents
Mecklenburg 1887 15 377.4 877,007 4.30
Wake 1347 10.7 269.4 864,429 3.12
Guilford 886 7.1 177.2 468,344 3.78
Cumberland 646 5.1 129.2 316,914 4.08
Durham 524 4.2 104.8 260,420 4.02
New Hanover 396 3.2 79.2 192,235 4.12
Buncombe 369 2.9 73.8 227,875 3.24
Gaston 335 2.7 67 204,971 3.27
Forsyth 317 2.5 63.4 343,704 1.84
Catawba 237 1.9 47.4 154,941 3.06
Robeson 235 1.9 47 130,316 3.61
Onslow 228 1.8 45.6 176,004 2.59
Cabarrus 204 1.6 40.8 170,406 2.39
Total - top 12 7611 60.7 1522.2 4,387,566 3.47
The ten cities with the highest numbers of pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes during this five-
year period are shown in Table 5. These ten cities together accounted for 44% of the State’s
12,544 reported pedestrian crashes for this period. Among North Carolina cities, Charlotte
accounts for 13.9% of statewide pedestrian crashes over the past five years, followed by
Raleigh (7.5%), Greensboro (4.8%), Fayetteville and Durham (4% each). The cities and counties
with the highest numbers of pedestrian crashes are generally those with the largest
populations. Again, there is not an exact correlation as shown by the population-based crash
rates in the right hand columns of Tables 5.
Other factors affecting the rate of crashes per population include the extent of walking by
residents and visitors, traffic volumes, characteristics of roadways where pedestrians walk, and
driver and pedestrian behaviors. The crash rate based on population averages 4.7 per 10,000
residents for these 10 cities.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
11
Table 5. Ten NC cities with highest numbers of pedestrian crashes from 2006-2010.
City
Five-year
crash
count
Percent of
NC total
(12,544)
Average
1-year
count
July 2008
population
estimate
Avg. yearly
crash rate
/ 10,000
residents
Charlotte 1743 13.9 348.6 683,541 5.10
Raleigh 935 7.5 187 377,353 4.96
Greensboro 607 4.8 121.4 263,268 4.61
Fayetteville 504 4 100.8 181,481 5.55
Durham 499 4 99.8 228,480 4.37
Asheville 280 2.2 56 78,313 7.15
Wilmington 274 2.2 54.8 101,526 5.40
Winston-Salem 231 1.8 46.2 228,362 2.02
Gastonia 211 1.7 42.2 74,518 5.66
High Point 206 1.6 41.2 100,645 4.09
Total - 10 cities 5490 43.8 1098 2,317,487 4.74
The crash fact descriptions that follow are also undoubtedly related to exposure, or when and
where people choose to walk, who is walking (age, behaviors, and physical condition). Crash
numbers can also change over time simply due to chance, due to changes in crash reporting
procedures, due to weather or other factors such as economics that affect the amounts of
walking and driving, and also as a result of safety-related factors including engineering,
educational, and enforcement initiatives.
12
Pedestrian Characteristics
Pedestrian Age
It is difficult to draw firm conclusions about the year-to-year fluctuations in crash proportions
by age across these five years (Table 6). (Note that the younger age categories span five years,
while those beginning with age 31 span 10 year age groups.) Crash involvement by age reflects
both population numbers across the State and exposure or amount of walking among different
age groups, among other risk factors.
Table 6. Age group of pedestrians involved in crashes.
Pedestrian
Age 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
0-5 99 93 99 70 66 427
4 1 3.7 4 2.9 2.6 3.4
2
6-10 109 86 103 98 106 502
4.4 3.4 4.1 4.1 4.2 4
11-15 187 162 170 152 164 835
7.6 6.4 6.8 6.3 6.5 6.7
16-20 287 290 302 287 310 1476
11.6 11.4 12.1 11.9 12.3 11.9
21-25 273 275 275 288 295 1406
11 10.8 11 12 11.7 11.3
26-30 207 246 197 222 232 1104
8.4 9.7 7.9 9.2 9.2 8.9
31-40 377 381 396 365 361 1880
15.3 15 15.9 15.2 14.3 15.1
41-50 422 453 433 377 409 2094
17.1 17.9 17.4 15.7 16.2 16.9
51-60 267 270 295 301 314 1447
10.8 10.6 11.8 12.5 12.5 11.6
61-70 110 142 117 129 141 639
4.5 5.6 4.7 5.4 5.6 5.1
71+ 133 138 107 117 122 617
5.4 5.4 4.3 4.9 4.8 5
Total 2471 2536 2494 2406 2520 12,427
4
19.9 3 20.4 20.1 19.4 20.3
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first pedestrian in crash less any cases with missing or unknown data
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
13
Combining age categories into larger ranges gives a picture of the overall crash involvement by
children, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults (Figure 3). Children up to age 16,
on average, accounted for about 14% of pedestrian crash-involvement over this time period.
Teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 accounted for 32%; middle aged adults
from 31 to 60 years account for 44%, and older adults 61 and up for 10%.
Figure 3. Percentage of NC pedestrian crashes by pedestrian age range, 2006-2010.
Pedestrian Gender
On average, males accounted for about 61% and females 39% of the pedestrians reported
involved in crashes over this five year period (Table 7). These percentages have remained
relatively the same over time.
14
Table 7. Pedestrian gender for those involved in crashes.
Pedestrian
Sex 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Female 1521 1524 1499 1430 1553 7,527
62.3 1 60.4 60.3 59.9 61.8 61 2
Male 919 1000 987 957 959 4822
37.7 39.6 39.7 40.1 38.2 39
Total 2440 2524 2486 2387 2512 12,349 4
19.8 3 20.4 20.1 19.3 20.3
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first pedestrian in crash less any cases with missing or unknown data
Pedestrian Race/Ethnicity
Pedestrian crashes in North Carolina are most likely to involve pedestrians reported to be of
White racial background (51%; Table 8). However, 39% of persons involved were reported to be
Black/African-American. Considering that Blacks comprised about 22% of persons living in the
State over this period, they are over-represented in pedestrian crashes based on population.
These proportions may reflect greater amounts of walking as well as other exposure factors.
Over this time period, those identified on crash report forms as Hispanic and persons of Asian
descent accounted for about 6% and around 1%, respectively, of pedestrians involved in
crashes each year. Native Americans also accounted for about 1% of the total. Persons not
identified in any of the other groups accounted for less than 1% of pedestrians involved in
collisions.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
15
Table 8. Pedestrian race/ethnicity for those involved in crashes.
Pedestrian
Race 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Asian 19 24 24 15 29 111
0.8 1 1 1 0.6 1.2 0.9
2
Black 948 967 948 936 1016 4815
39.4 38.7 38.7 39.7 41.1 39.5
Hispanic 136 170 158 136 139 739
5.7 6.8 6.4 5.8 5.6 6.1
Native
American
32 36 34 35 25 162
1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1 1.3
White 1257 1279 1260 1218 1242 6256
52.2 51.2 51.4 51.7 50.3 51.4
Other 15 20 27 17 20 99
0.6 0.8 1.1 0.7 0.8 0.8
Total 2407 2496 2451 2357 2471 12,182
4
19.8 3 20.5 20.1 19.3 20.3
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first pedestrian in crash less any cases with missing or unknown data
Pedestrian Injury Severity
As shown in Table 1, pedestrian crashes tend to be especially serious with 7% of pedestrians
struck in North Carolina being killed on average, compared with about 0.3% fatalities for all
crash-involved people (mostly drivers and passengers). An additional 8% suffered serious (A-
type) injuries over the five years. Based on 2010 national data, North Carolina was ranked 7th
highest of U.S. states for pedestrian fatalities per capita (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2010 Data:
Pedestrians; available http://www-
nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/CMSWeb/listpublications.aspx?Id=A&ShowBy=DocType). [Note: NHTSA also
shows 3 fewer pedestrian fatalities in 2010 than the data compiled from North Carolina for
these reports.]
16
Pedestrian Alcohol Use
The investigating officer indicated alcohol use by an average of about 13% of the pedestrians
struck by motor vehicles over this five year period (Table 9). Suspected use does not
necessarily imply that the pedestrian was impaired at the time of the crash, but that evidence
of alcohol use was detected or suspected.
Table 9. Pedestrian use of alcohol.
Pedestrian
Alcohol 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
No 2206 2238 2194 2097 2229 10,964
88.7 1 87.4 87.2 86.5 87.8 87.5
2
Yes 282 322 322 326 310 1,562
11.3 12.6 12.8 13.5 12.2 12.5
Total 2488 2560 2516 2423 2539 12,526
4
19.9 3 20.4 20.1 19.3 20.3
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first pedestrian in crash less any cases with missing or unknown data
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
17
Driver and Vehicle Characteristics
Driver Age
There were year-to-year fluctuations in the distributions of driver age group involved in
pedestrian crashes across the five years of data, but generally similar levels (Table 10). Younger
drivers up to age 24 accounted for about 25% of collisions with pedestrians over this time
period. But, there is an apparent decreasing trend among drivers aged 16 to 20 in keeping with
overall reduced crash involvement among teen drivers. Conversely, adults of ages 51 and
upwards may be accounting for a larger share of crashes (and possibly greater numbers),
perhaps related to aging driver population trends.
Table 10. Age of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians.
Driver
Age 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
< 11 yrs 2 8 0 0 1 10
0.1 1 0.4 0 0 0 0.5 2
11-15 4 11 10 9 7 41
0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.4
16-20 270 256 269 217 251 1263
13.3 12.2 12.8 10.9 11.9 12.2
21-25 260 270 251 240 261 1282
12.8 12.8 11.9 12 12.4 12.4
26-30 206 213 214 227 238 1098
10.2 10.1 10.1 11.4 11.3 10.6
31-40 386 403 364 350 346 1849
19.1 19.1 17.3 17.5 16.4 17.9
41-50 348 333 375 317 352 1725
17.2 15.8 17.8 15.9 16.7 16.7
51-60 261 277 305 311 300 1454
12.9 13.2 14.5 15.6 14.2 14.1
61-70 150 180 190 174 198 892
7.4 8.6 9 8.7 9.4 8.6
71+ 138 154 131 151 156 730
6.8 7.3 6.2 7.6 7.4 7.1
Total 2025 2105 2109 1996 2110 10,345 4
19.6 3 20.3 20.4 19.3 20.4 1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first driver in crash less any cases missing driver age data (including for unidentified hit and run drivers).
18
Driver Gender
Male drivers accounted for 56% of the pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes over the five years,
and female drivers about 44% although year-to-year fluctuations are apparent (Table 11). .
Table 11. Gender of drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians.
Driver
Sex 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Male 1205 1162 1156 1142 1166 5831
59.5 1 55.2 54.6 57.1 55.2 56.3 2
Female 821 944 961 859 947 4532
40.5 44.8 45.4 42.9 44.8 43.7
Total 2026 2106 2117 2001 2113 10,363 4
19.6 3 20.3 20.4 19.3 20.4
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first driver in crash less any cases missing driver age data (including for unidentified hit and run drivers).
Driver Race/Ethnicity
White drivers were involved in about 60% and Black drivers 32% of the crashes with
pedestrians (Table 12). Blacks have greater representation as pedestrians in collisions than as
drivers, although they are over-represented as drivers based on population in the State.
Hispanic drivers accounted for about 5% of collisions with pedestrians, and Asians and Native
Americans about 1% each according to information from police crash-reports.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
19
Table 12. Race/ Ethnicity of drivers involved in pedestrian crashes.
Driver Race 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Asian 16 18 17 30 28 109
0.8 1 0.9 0.8 1.5 1.3 1.1 2
Black 644 657 723 630 676 3330
32.1 31.4 34.4 31.7 32.3 32.4
Hispanic 104 119 87 78 80 468
5.2 5.7 4.1 3.9 3.8 4.5
Native
American
27 26 26 17 20 116
1.3 1.2 1.2 0.9 1 1.1
White 1192 1253 1222 1212 1267 6146
59.5 59.8 58.1 60.9 60.5 59.8
Other 22 21 27 23 24 117
1.1 1 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1
Total 2005 2094 2102 1990 2095 10,286 4
19.5 3 20.4 20.4 19.3 20.4
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first driver in crash less any cases missing driver age data (including for unidentified hit and run drivers).
Driver Injury Severity
As would be expected, drivers are not often seriously injured in crashes with pedestrians, with
95% of drivers reported to receive no injuries, about 3% possibly receiving injuries, and another
2% receiving evident injuries (data not shown). However, there were five reported driver
fatalities associated with pedestrian collisions over this time period and another 11 reported
disabling driver injuries (A-type).
20
Driver Alcohol Use
The investigating officer detected or suspected alcohol use by the drivers involved in pedestrian
crashes in an average of about 5% of the crashes for all five years (Table 13). This means that
the investigating police officer reported detecting alcohol or suspicion of alcohol use; it does
not necessarily imply intoxication.
Table 13. Suspected alcohol use among drivers involved in crashes with pedestrians.
Driver
Alcohol 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
No 2003 2072 2054 1974 2084 10187
95.4 1 95.5 95.4 95.4 95.3 95.4
2
Yes 96 97 100 96 102 491
4.6 4.5 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.6
Total 2099 2169 2154 2070 2186 10,678
4
19.7 3 20.3 20.2 19.4 20.5
1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first driver in crash less any cases missing driver age data (including for unidentified hit and run drivers).
Vehicle Type
Most vehicles involved in crashes with pedestrians are passenger vehicles, including cars,
pickups, light trucks/mini vans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and vans, which together
accounted for about 95% of collisions with pedestrians (Table 14). While passenger cars
accounted for the majority (56%), SUVs accounted for 17%, pickups 15%, and other light trucks,
vans and mini-vans combined for about 8%.
Although accounting for smaller proportions, heavier vehicles tend to result in more severe
injuries to pedestrians. School and activity buses have been involved in an average of about 6
crashes per year with pedestrians over the past five years. Commercial buses were involved in
nearly 9 pedestrian collisions per year across the State. Police and other emergency vehicles
accounted for 67 collisions with pedestrians. Commercial types of vehicles including vans, single
unit trucks, taxicabs, heavy trucks, and emergency and other types of vehicles account for the
remaining crashes with pedestrians. Six-wheel and larger trucks and tractors accounted for less
than 2% of these collisions. However, heavier vehicles tend to be associated with a larger
percentage of fatalities and serious injuries.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
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Table 14. Vehicle types involved in crashes with pedestrians.
Driver Vehicle Type 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Passenger Car 1224 1225 1234 1158 1253 6094
56.9 1 54.4 55.1 54.5 55.6 55.3 2
Pickup 324 319 333 323 313 1612
15 14.2 14.9 15.2 13.9 14.6
Light Truck (Mini-Van, Panel) 51 49 46 39 39 224
2.4 2.2 2.1 1.8 1.7 2
Sport Utility 307 377 369 398 419 1870
14.3 16.7 16.5 18.7 18.6 17
Van 127 165 138 136 129 695
5.9 7.3 6.2 6.4 5.7 6.3
Commercial Bus 11 7 15 4 11 48
0.5 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.5 0.4
School Bus 8 5 5 6 7 31
0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3
Activity Bus 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0
Other Bus 3 3 1 2 2 11
0.1 0.1 0 0.1 0.1 0.1
Single Unit Truck (2-Axle, 6-Tire) 27 23 31 14 16 111
1.3 1 1.4 0.7 0.7 1
Single Unit Truck (3 Or More
Axles)
11 5 7 2 7 32
0.5 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.3 0.3
Truck/Trailer 6 12 8 5 10 41
0.3 0.5 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.4
Truck/Tractor 1 1 1 1 2 6
0 0 0 0 0.1 0.1
Tractor/Semi-Trailer 14 18 17 6 14 69
0.7 0.8 0.8 0.3 0.6 0.6
Tractor/Doubles 0 0 1 2 0 3
0 0 0 0.1 0 0
Unknown Heavy Truck 2 3 3 2 0 10
0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0 0.1
Taxicab 7 6 10 2 2 27
0.3 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.2
Farm Tractor 0 0 0 0 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0
Motorcycle 11 9 6 14 8 48
0.5 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.4
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Driver Vehicle Type 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Motor Home/Recreational
Vehicle
1 2 5 6 4 18
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2
Other 1 0 1 0 0 2
0 0 0 0 0 0
All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) 0 0 1 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire truck 2 0 0 0 0 2
0.1 0 0 0 0 0
EMS Vehicle, Ambulance,
Rescue Squad
0 6 0 0 2 8
0 0.3 0 0 0.1 0.1
Police 15 15 9 4 14 57
0.7 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.5
Total 2153 2251 2241 2124 2253 11,022 4
19.5 3 20.4 20.3 19.3 20.4 1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes the first vehicle in crash less any cases missing vehicle data (including for unidentified hit and run vehicle types).
Temporal and Environmental Factors
Month of Year
Pedestrian crashes occur throughout the year. Monthly peaks vary from year to year, but
pedestrian crashes typically begin increasing in August with the highest average numbers
occurring in the fall months of October to December, when daylight periods are decreasing and
children and college-age students have returned to school (Figure 4).
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
23
Figure 4. NC Pedestrian crashes by month of year, 2006-2010.
Day of the Week
Pedestrian crashes in NC are fairly evenly spread throughout the week, but on average, were
most likely to occur on a Friday (17%), with the second highest percentage occurring on
Saturdays (15%). Pedestrian crashes were least likely to occur on a Sunday (11%; Figure 5).
Again, there was year-to-year variability, but these trends were fairly consistent from year to
year.
Figure 5. NC Pedestrian crashes by day of the week, 2006-2010.
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Time of Day
Pedestrian crashes were most likely to occur in the afternoon and early evening between the
hours of 3 to 6 pm and 6 to 9 pm (Figure 6). About 41% of pedestrian collisions occurred during
these six hours. The third highest crash period was between noon to 3 pm (15%). There were
also more pedestrian crashes between 9 pm and midnight than during peak morning travel
time (6 to 9 am) suggesting over-involvement of pedestrians in crashes at night; exposure data
to test this hypothesis are, however, lacking. Nearly 7% of pedestrians were struck between
midnight and 3 am, with 3% involved during the hours between 3 and 6 am.
Figure 6. NC pedestrian crashes by time of day, 2006-2010.
Light Condition
While 56% of collisions occurred during daylight hours, over 43% of pedestrian crashes over the
past five years have occurred during non-daylight conditions, including dawn and dusk.
Twenty-one percent of crashes occurred at night on lighted roadways (typically urban roads)
and 18% occurred at night on roadways indicated to have no supplemental lighting (Figure 7).
Those struck at night on unlighted roadways were nearly three times more likely to be killed
(nearly 19%) compared with those struck at night on lighted roadways (7%; data not shown).
The increased rate of fatalities on unlighted streets likely reflects a number of factors including
higher speeds associated with rural (unlit) roads, and perhaps a decreased tendency for drivers
to detect and slow before striking pedestrians on these roadways.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
25
Figure 7. NC pedestrian crashes by light condition, 2006-2010.
Weather
The vast majority (92%) of pedestrian crashes occurred under clear (77%) or cloudy (15%)
weather conditions on average (Figure 8), no doubt reflecting exposure. Year-to-year variation
in the number of crashes occurring under rainy, snowy/icy, or foggy/smoky conditions is also
likely a reflection of exposure to these conditions (e.g., more pedestrian crashes under rainy or
snowy conditions in years when the State received more snowfall).
Figure 8. NC Pedestrian crashes by weather condition, 2006-2010.
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Roadway Characteristics
Roadway Classification
Nearly half (47%) of all pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes occurred on local (mostly city) streets
reflecting higher levels of walking and numbers of pedestrians in cities and neighborhoods
(Table 14). Around 27% of reported pedestrian crashes in this five year period occurred in
parking lots, public driveways, or other public vehicular areas. Another 11% occurred along
State Secondary routes. All other roadway classifications accounted for about 13% of the total,
including around 5% on NC Routes, 6% on US Routes, and approximately 2% on Interstate
Routes. Collisions on interstates often involve pedestrians associated with disabled vehicles or
who were involved in a prior vehicle-to-vehicle collision. Collisions that occurred on private
property were reported frequently enough to comprise about 3% of crashes. There are also
likely to be inaccuracies in these data, with many crashes that occurred within urban areas
coded as on local streets, although they are often NC, US or State Secondary routes.
Table 15. Pedestrian crashes by roadway classification.
Road
Classification 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
Interstate 44 40 45 49 46 224
1.8 1 1.6 1.8 2 1.8 1.8 2
US Route 151 160 145 145 140 741
6.1 6.3 5.8 6 5.5 5.9
NC Route 142 127 126 106 121 622
5.7 5 5 4.4 4.8 5
State Secondary
Route
300 300 276 237 284 1397
12 11.7 11 9.8 11.2 11.1
Local Street 1136 1194 1174 1108 1226 5838
45.6 46.6 46.6 45.6 48.2 46.5
Public Vehicular
Area
647 649 686 705 662 3349
26 25.4 27.2 29 26 26.7
Private Road,
Driveway
70 90 67 79 67 373
2.8 3.5 2.7 3.3 2.6 3
Total 2421 2490 2560 2519 2429 12,419
4
19.5 3
20 20.6 20.3 19.6 100 1
Row percent of column total 2
Row total percent of total 3
Column total percent of total 4
Total includes all crashes less cases with missing data.
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
27
Road Type/ Configuration
On average, nearly three-fourths (74%) of pedestrian collisions occurred on two-way, undivided
roadways, about 12% on two-way roads divided by a median, with 8% on two-way roads
divided with a positive median barrier (often freeways), and about 5% on one-way roads or
sections (Figure 9).
Figure 9. Road configuration and pedestrian crashes, 2006-2010.
Number of Through Lanes
Number of lanes indicated should reflect number of through lanes, excluding limited turn lanes
and other non-continuing lanes. The figure below excludes pedestrian crashes that occurred in
parking lots and other non-roadway locations (Figure 10). The majority (60%) of reported on-
roadway pedestrian crashes occurred on two-lane roads (a consistent 59 - 60% each year),
while approximately 30% occurred on multi-lane roadways with four or more travel lanes.
Three-lane roadways accounted for 6% and one-lane roads or sections for 5%.
The numbers of crashes reflect amounts of walking and driving on roadways with different
numbers of lanes as well as other possible differences in risk exposure to crashes. There are
also likely to be some inaccuracies in these data, with interpretation of numbers of lanes
varying based on divided/undivided, presence of two-way turn lanes and other roadway
characteristics.
28
Figure 10. Pedestrian crashes by number of through traffic lanes.
Speed Limit
On average, two-thirds (58%) of NC’s pedestrian crashes took place on roads indicated to have
speed limits of 35 mph or less, likely reflecting speeds on urban streets and commercial
thoroughfares where more pedestrians tend to be found (Table 16). (Note that 15% of cases
did not have speed limit data indicated. Roadways operating under default statutory
maximums of 35 mph in urban areas and 55 mph in rural areas may not be posted, or police
officers may not locate a posted limit sign.) The 40-45 mph roadways accounted for about 15%
of pedestrian collisions, more than roadways of 20–25 mph (13%). Roadways of 50 mph and
above accounted for 13%.
Crashes on higher speed roads may be especially severe. While less than 2% of those struck on
roads with speed limits of 25 mph and lower were killed, the proportions begin to climb rapidly,
with about 4% of those struck on 30–35 mph roads being killed. The proportions of struck
pedestrians who were killed were 12%, 21%, and 37% of those struck on 40–45 mph, 50–55
mph, and 60–75 mph roadways, respectively. In total, 71% of pedestrians killed, were struck on
roadways with speed limits of 40 mph and greater. (Note that we do not have good information
on actual travel speeds of the striking vehicles, but the speed limit of the roadway provides
some information about the general travel speed.)
NC Pedestrian Crash Facts, 2006-2010
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Figure 11. NC pedestrian crashes by posted speed limit of roadway.
For more information about pedestrian crashes in North Carolina and events leading up to the
crashes, see the North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Types, 2006-2010 summary report.