These are the most dangerous metro areas for walkers

A new report lists the 20 metropolitan areas with the highest number of pedestrian deaths.

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Jul. 14, 2022

Pedestrians cross Roosevelt Boulevard at the intersection with North Mascher Ave, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Philadelphia. Julio Cortez/ AP

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A new study published this week from Smart Growth America highlights how dangerous roads are for pedestrians.

Pedestrian deaths have gone up exponentially since 2009, with more than 6,500 people hit and killed while walking in 2020.

Florida is home to four of the top 10 most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians, according to the report.

More than 6,500 pedestrians were struck by a vehicle and killed in the U.S. in 2020 according to a new report.

The number of people killed while walking has steadily risen since 2009 and will most likely reach historic levels once data is in for 2021, according to analysis from Smart Growth America.

Preliminary data outlined in the report states that 7,265 pedestrians died last year.

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The report also found that almost every state and metro area is becoming more deadly for pedestrians.

But the risk of death when walking on the street is not the same for everyone. Low-income Americans, the elderly and people of color are more likely to be struck and killed while walking, and Black pedestrians are twice as likely to be killed while walking than white and non-Hispanic pedestrians.

Native Americans suffer the greatest risk, with the report finding that they are almost three times as likely to be struck and killed while walking compared to white, Asian and Hispanic pedestrians.

Report crafters determined the deadliest cities for walkers by comparing the total number of pedestrians killed per 100,000 residents. The bulk of the cities in the top 10 list are located in southern states.

Here are the 10 most deadly cities for pedestrians: