Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Increased by 35% in Massachusetts in 2022
According to a report released by WalkBoston, fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts rose by 35% in 2022 compared to the previous year. The report also revealed that 71% of crashes occurred in Environmental Justice Census Block Groups, and 60 of the state’s 351 cities and towns experienced a fatal pedestrian crash in 2022. Furthermore, the report found that older adults were hit and killed at a higher rate than other age groups.
Brendan Kearney, Deputy Director of WalkBoston, expressed his concern over the significant increase in fatal crashes, citing unsafe road design as the root cause. He emphasized the importance of designing streets to reduce illegal speeding and prioritizing the most dangerous locations for fixes, which will ultimately save lives.
Of the 101 fatal pedestrian crashes, 72 occurred in Environmental Justice neighborhoods. In 2021, the legislature passed An Act Creating a Next Generation Roadmap for MA Climate Policy, which defines an Environmental Justice (EJ) Population as an area meeting state criteria related to household income, higher minority populations, and higher populations for whom English is a second language. Tahara Samuel, Community Planning Manager of Madison Park Development Corporation, highlighted the need to protect residents in environmental justice neighborhoods and create safe streets for all.
The report calls upon MassDOT, the legislature, and local municipalities to take immediate actions to create safer streets. MassDOT recently released a Strategic Highway Safety Plan featuring sections on implementing speed management and addressing top-risk locations and populations. It is crucial to identify how these recommendations will be implemented and funded by the legislature. The report also recommends that every municipality that has experienced a fatal crash should take steps to become an Age-Friendly Community.
According to data from AARP, the population of the United States is rapidly aging, and by 2030, one of every five people in the U.S. will be 65 or older. Making communities age-friendly means complete, smartly planned streets and transportation options that are great for people of all ages. A street that is safe for a 70-year-old to cross to shop is safe for a 7-year-old walking to school. Safer streets mean more people can remain in their current homes or community as they age.
In 2022, 60 Massachusetts cities and towns had at least one fatal pedestrian crash. Of those, 19 municipalities had multiple fatal crashes, with Boston leading with 12 fatal pedestrian crashes, followed by Worcester with seven, Chicopee with five, and Brockton, Framingham, Lowell, and Springfield with three each. Cambridge, Dedham, Easthampton, Gardner, Haverhill, Holyoke, New Bedford, Quincy, Salem, Sharon, West Springfield, and Yarmouth all had two fatal pedestrian crashes each.
The report also revealed that 60% of Massachusetts’ fatal pedestrian crashes occurred in the dark, before sunrise or after sunset, and 10% were hit-and-run crashes where the driver left the scene of the accident. The report reviews fatal pedestrian crash data released on the MassDOT IMPACT Crash Portal and Fatal Crash Information Dashboard, cross-referencing the locations in the MassDOT Road Inventory Tool to determine the road jurisdiction and speed limit. Google Street View was used to find additional local context.
The rise in fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts is a cause for concern and requires immediate action. WalkBoston’s report highlights the need for safer streets for all, with a particular focus on environmental justice neighborhoods and older adults. Designing streets to reduce illegal speeding and prioritizing the most dangerous locations for fixes will help save lives. It is also essential for municipalities to become age-friendly communities, with complete, smartly planned streets and transportation options that are great for people of all ages. MassDOT, the legislature, and local municipalities must take immediate action to create safer streets.
If you have been injured as a pedestrian, you must act quickly to preserve your rights. Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation at (617)-387-7000
