Georgia Traffic Safety Facts 2020 Data July 2022 In this fact sheet, information is presented as follows. Non-Motorist Fatalities and Serious Injuries Crash Characteristics - Urban vs. Rural - Environmental Characteristics Contributing Circumstances - Alcohol Involvement Demographics - Older Pedestrian Population - Vulnerable Populations Safety Equipment & Protective Gear Personal Conveyances This fact sheet contains information from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) crash data modified by Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES) at the Department of Public Health (DPH), Georgia Emergency Medical Services Information System (GEMSIS), Hospital Discharge Data, Emergency Room Data, and the Georgia Trauma Registry. Refer to the Data Considerations section at the end of this publication regarding the data and information presented. Governor's Office of Highway Safety 7 MLK Jr Dr SE Suite #643 Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-6996 www.gahighwaysafety.org Pedestrians and Bicyclists (Non-Motorists) Non-motorists, as defined in this fact sheet, include pedestrians and bicyclists. In some of the following discussions of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries both traffic and non-traffic (i.e., occurring on any place other than a traffic way trail, driveway, parking lot, or sidewalk) are included in aggregate reporting. 2020 Key Findings Although pedestrians and bicyclists represented less than one percent of all individuals involved in motor vehicle crashes (0.9 percent), they accounted for 19 percent of all traffic fatalities. Pedestrians There were 279 pedestrians fatally injured in traffic crashes, an 18 percent increase from the 236 pedestrian fatalities in 2019. The pedestrian fatality rate per population among Black/African American Non-Hispanic individuals is nearly doubled (1.8 times) the pedestrian fatality rate experienced among White Non-Hispanics. Fifty-eight percent of all pedestrian crashes occurred within the Atlanta region. Thirty-three percent of pedestrian crashes on two-way, undivided principal arterials resulted in a pedestrian serious injury or fatality. In 2020, nearly four out of five pedestrian fatalities (80 percent) and more than half (56 percent) of pedestrian injuries occurred on roadways with posted speed limits at or above 40 mph. The motor vehicle-related, pedestrian hospitalization and emergency room visit charges were $172 million for Georgia residents. Bicyclists There was an average of 25 bicyclist fatalities in traffic crashes each year between 2016-2020. In 2020, there were 32 bicyclist fatalities on Georgia roadways. The bicyclist crash rate is highest in urban counties outside of the Atlanta region. Sixty-two percent of bicyclist crashes occur at intersections. Among the bicyclists treated at trauma care facilities, individuals aged 10-to-14 years had the highest rate of trauma care compared to any other age group. The motor vehicle-related, bicyclist hospitalization and emergency room visit charges were $67 million for Georgia residents. Page 1 Non-Motorist Fatalities and Serious Injuries Non-Motorist Fatalities In 2020, there were 279 pedestrians and 32 bicyclists fatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in Georgia (Table 1). The number of pedestrian fatalities in traffic crashes has more than doubled in the past decade and increased by 18 percent, from 236 pedestrian fatalities in 2019 to 279 in 2020. There was an average of 25 bicyclist fatalities in traffic crashes per year between 2016-2020. Although non-motorists represented less than one percent of all persons involved in motor vehicle crashes (0.9 percent), they accounted for 19 percent of all traffic fatalities--a net two percent increase from the previous year. There were approximately three pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities for every 100,000 population in 2020. Figure 1 shows the rate and percent of non-motorist traffic fatalities for the past decade. Figure 1. Rate and Percent of Non-Motorist Traffic Fatalities, 2011-2020 20% 18% 16% 14% 12% 12% 10% 8% 6% 1.47 Rate per 100,000 Population Percent of All Traffic Fatalities 15% 17% 16% 15% 17% 2.53 1.85 2.04 1.80 2.12 17% 2.57 19% 2.78 17% 2.42 3.5 0 19% 3.0 0 2.90 2.50 2.0 0 1.5 0 1.0 0 4% 0.5 0 2% 0% 0.0 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Source: FARS 2011-2020; OASIS 2011-2020 Table 1 presents the number of total traffic fatalities, Georgia population, and non-motorist fatalities (pedestrians and bicyclists) from 2011 to 2020. The number of total traffic fatalities increased by 12 percent, from 1,491 in 2019 to 1,664 in 2020. The number of non-motorist fatalities increased by 21 percent, from 257 in 2019 to 311 in 2020. The rate of non-motorist fatalities increased by 20 percent, from 2.42 to 2.90 fatalities per 100,000 population. Table 1. Rate and Percent of Non-Motorist Traffic Fatalities, 2011-2020 Year Total Traffic Fatalities Georgia Population Pedestrian Number Percent of All Traffic Fatalities 2011 1,226 9,815,210 130 11% 2012 1,192 9,919,945 167 14% 2013 1,180 9,992,167 176 15% 2014 1,164 10,097,343 163 14% 2015 1,432 10,214,860 194 14% 2016 1,556 10,310,371 232 15% 2017 1,540 10,429,379 253 16% 2018 1,504 10,519,475 262 17% 2019 1,491 10,617,423 236 16% 2020 1,664 10,710,017 279 Source: FARS 2011-2020; OASIS 2011-2020 17% Bicyclist Number Percent of All Traffic Fatalities 14 1.1% 17 1.4% 28 2.4% 19 1.6% 23 1.6% 29 1.9% 15 1.0% 30 2.0% 21 1.4% 32 1.9% Non-Motorists Fatalities Number 144 Percent of All Traffic Fatalities 12% Rate per 100,000 Population 1.47 184 15% 1.85 204 17% 2.04 182 16% 1.80 217 15% 2.12 261 17% 2.53 268 17% 2.57 292 19% 2.78 257 17% 2.42 311 19% 2.90 Page 2 Non-Motorist Injuries The following section describes various responses to serious injuries experienced by pedestrians and bicyclists involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes and non-traffic crash incidents. Injured pedestrians and bicyclists can be counted multiple times for each response (e.g., an injured person may be counted as an emergency room visit, hospitalization, and/or trauma center patient). The various responses to injuries are described below. Table 2. Description of Traffic Injury Surveillance Data Sources Traffic Injury Surveillance Data Sources Suspected Serious Crash Injuries are reported by law enforcement responding to a motor vehicle crash scene. Emergency Medical Services include all ground and air transports to an emergency facility for patients who are injured and require medical care in the state of Georgia. Trauma Center patients are identified as those with serious injuries that meet specific criteria. The State of Georgia follows the identification and treatment guidelines established by the American College of Surgeons along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Field Triage Criteria. Emergency Room and Hospitalizations include Georgia resident discharges from Georgia non-federal acute care hospitals. Emergency room (ER) visits include individuals who were discharged directly from the ER. Hospitalizations include individuals who may have visited the emergency room. Table 2 shows the number and percent change of non-motorist, motor vehicle traffic-related serious injuries for each injury surveillance source. Between 2019 and 2020, all surveillance sources show a decrease in pedestrian serious injuries, and all but one source (Emergency Medical Services EMS) show a decrease in bicyclist serious injuries. The number of non-motorists transported to a hospital facility by EMS decreased by 1 percent; however, pedestrian injury transports decreased by 11 percent, and bicyclist injury EMS transports increased by 40 percent. Table 3. Non-Motorist Motor Vehicle Traffic-Related Serious Injuries by Injury Surveillance Source, 2019-2020 Injury Surveillance Source 2019 2020 2019-2020 Percent Change Pedestrian Bicyclists Pedestrian Bicyclists Pedestrian Bicyclists Non-Motorists Crash Reports 395 88 358 71 Emergency Medical Services** 2,102 510 1,877 716 Trauma 1,141 519 826 148 Emergency Department* 2,682 543 1,529 349 Hospital* 758 92 654 68 -9% -11% -28% -43% -14% -19% 40% -71% -36% -26% -11% -1% -41% -42% -15% Note: *All persons involved in a Georgia crash receive care in a Georgia Emergency Department or Hospital, regardless of their state residency. **EMS arrivals to motor vehicle traffic crashes with reported serious injuries and fatalities may or may not have resulted in transport to a medical facility. Source: CODES 2019- 2020, DPH Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Room Visit Data 2019-2020, GEMSIS 2019-2020, Georgia Trauma Registry 2019-2020 Page 3 Table 4 shows the number, proportion, and rate (per population) of non-motorist serious injuries by age group and surveillance system. In 2020, the 25-to-34 and 55-to-64 years represented the two age groups with the highest rate or proportion of police-reported suspected serious injuries, EMS transports, trauma care, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations compared to other age groups. Non-motorists aged 25-to-34 years have the rate of police-reported suspected serious injuries, transports by EMS and emergency room visits compared to other age groups. Non-motorists aged 55-to-64 years have the highest rate of EMS transports, trauma care, and hospitalizations compared to other age groups--18 percent of all non-motorists in this age group received treatment at a trauma center or hospital. Table 4. Non-Motorist Traffic-Related Serious Injuries, Percent of Total Serious Injuries, and Rate per 100,000 Population by Age Group and Injury Surveillance Source, 2020 Age Group <10 10-14 15-24 Police-Reported Suspected Serious Crash Injuries # % Rate 18 4% 1.3 20 5% 2.8 76 18% 5.2 Emergency Medical Services # % Rate 145 6% 10.9 141 5% 19.4 403 16% 27.6 Trauma Center # % Rate 32 3% 2.4 33 3% 4.5 139 14% 9.5 Emergency Room # % Rate 72 4% 5.4 77 4% 10.6 404 22% 27.7 Hospitalizations # % Rate 4 1% 0.3 6 1% 0.8 109 15% 7.5 15-20 41 10% 4.6 235 9% 26.5 78 8% 8.8 237 13% 26.7 61 8% 6.9 21-24 35 8% 6.1 168 6% 29.4 61 6% 10.7 167 9% 29.2 48 7% 8.4 25-34 87 20% 5.8 458 18% 30.4 180 18% 11.9 429 23% 28.5 135 19% 9.0 35-44 76 18% 5.4 377 15% 27.0 169 17% 12.1 275 15% 19.7 125 17% 9.0 45-54 52 12% 3.7 399 15% 28.7 138 14% 9.9 241 13% 17.3 116 16% 8.3 55-64 55 13% 4.2 411 16% 31.1 174 18% 13.1 251 13% 19.0 133 18% 10.1 65+ 38 9% 2.4 259 10% 16.5 109 11% 6.9 129 7% 8.2 94 13% 6.0 Total* 429 100% 4.0 2,593 100% 24.2 974 100% 9.1 1,878 100% 17.5 722 100% 6.7 *Includes twelve suspected serious injuries with unknown age Source: CODES 2020, DPH-OHIP Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Room Visit Only Data 2020, GEMSIS 2020, Georgia Trauma Registry 2020 Suspected Serious Crash Injuries Pedestrians aged 21-to-24 years have the highest rate of serious injuries and fatalities per population compared to other age groups. In 2020, there were 8.57 serious injuries and fatalities among pedestrians for every 100,000 population aged 21-to-24 years. Bicyclists aged 55-to-64 years have the highest rate of serious injuries and fatalities compared to other age groups, followed by bicyclists in the 45-to-54 age group (Table 5). Table 5. Non-Motorist Suspected Serious Injury and Fatality Rate by Age Group (Traffic), 2019 and 2020 Age Group <10 10-14 15-20 21-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Pedestrian Serious Injuries and Fatalities Number Percent Rate 14 2% 0.72 18 3% 2.48 54 9% 6.09 49 8% 8.57 120 19% 7.97 113 18% 8.10 73 12% 5.25 107 17% 8.09 76 12% 5.01 Bicyclist Serious Injuries and Fatalities Number Percent Rate 8 8% 0.41 8 8% 1.10 6 6% 0.68 6 6% 1.05 12 12% 0.80 16 16% 1.15 18 18% 1.29 19 19% 1.44 7 7% 0.46 Total* 624 100% 5.83 100 100% *Total includes serious injuries of unknown age Source: CODES 2019-2020 0.93 Page 4 Emergency Medical Services In 2020, six percent of all motor vehicle traffic-related Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transports involved non-motorists. EMS transported 1,877 pedestrians, and 716 bicyclists involved in motor vehicle traffic-related crashes to a hospital facility. The number of EMS pedestrian transports decreased by 11 percent from the 2,102 transports in 2019. The number of EMS bicyclist transports increased by 40 percent from the 510 transports in 2019. Trauma Center Patients According to the Georgia Trauma Registry data, motor vehicle traffic-related incidents (motor vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists) accounted for nearly one-third of all injuries treated by designated and non-designated Georgia Trauma Centers1 in 2020. In 2020, the number of pedestrians identified as trauma patients treated within Georgia Trauma Centers had decreased by 28 percent, from 1,141 in 2019 to 826 in 2020. The number of bicyclist trauma patients decreased by 71 percent, from 519 in 2019 to 148 in 2020. Nearly one out of every three patients (30 percent) of pedestrians treated at the trauma centers had minor injuries, and 19 percent Figure 2. Trauma Registry Pedestrian and Bicyclist Injuries Treated by Injury Severity Score, 2020 Minor Moderate Severe Very Severe had very severe injuries. Similarly, nearly one-third (31 percent) of bicyclists treated at Bicyclist (n=148) 31% 37% 17% 15% trauma centers had minor injuries, and 15 Pedestrian (n=826) 30% 34% 18% 19% percent had very severe injuries (Figure 2). 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Source: Georgia Trauma Registry 2020 Emergency Room Visits & Hospitalizations In 2020, the total motor vehicle-related (traffic and non-traffic) hospitalization and emergency room charges among Georgia residents were $172 million for pedestrians and $67.48 million for bicyclists. Traffic-related pedestrian emergency room visits and hospitalizations decreased by 26 percent, and bicyclist emergency room visits and hospitalizations decreased by 31 percent between 2019 and 2020. In 2020, there were 2,183 traffic-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations2 involving pedestrians and 613 traffic-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations involving bicyclists. Non-traffic-related pedestrian emergency room visits and hospitalizations increased by 51 percent, and bicyclist emergency room visits and hospitalizations increased by nearly eightyfold (79.5 times) between 2019 and 2020. Bicyclists across all age groups experienced an increase in non-trafficrelated emergency room visits and hospitalizations, but the increase was most predominant in children ages 5-to-14 years. 1 Not all hospitals are designated as Trauma Centers. 2 Hospitalizations may include individuals that visited the emergency room. Emergency room visits include individuals who were discharged directly from the ER. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits are for Georgia residents only, while fatalities can be a person from out of state. Page 5 Crash Characteristics According to the police crash reports, nearly one out of every four pedestrian crashes that occurred in Georgia (625 out of 2,332) resulted in at least one pedestrian that was seriously or fatally injured in 2020. In the same year, 15 percent of all bicyclist crashes (100 out of 654) resulted in at least one bicyclist that was seriously or fatally injured. Table 6 shows the number of nonmotorist crashes, persons involved in crashes, and suspected serious injuries between 2016-2020. Table 6. Non-Motorist Crashes and Serious Injury and Fatal Crashes, 2016-2020 Year 2016 Pedestrian Crashes Serious Injury and Fatal Crashes 3,834 822 Bicyclist Crashes Serious Injury and Fatal Crashes 695 57 2017 3,681 909 686 75 2018 2,172 581 550 69 2019 2,986 613 793 108 2020 2,332 625 654 100 Source: CODES 2016-2020, FARS 2016-2020 Urban vs. Rural3 There were 21.77 pedestrians per 100,000 population, and 6.11 bicyclists per 100,000 population involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash across the state of Georgia (Figure 3). In Georgia, non-motorist crashes are more frequent in the urban areas (the Atlanta and other urban regions) compared to rural areas where the residential population is less than 50,000 people. Pedestrian crashes and crash rates were highest within the ten counties of the Atlanta Region4 28.59 pedestrians per 100,000 population. The Atlanta Region accounted for 44 percent of the state population. However, 58 percent (1,343 out of 2,332) of all pedestrian crashes, 46 percent (165 out of 358) of all pedestrian serious injuries, and 45 percent (126 out of 279) of all pedestrian fatal injuries occurred within this area. Bicyclist crashes and crash rates were highest within the 31 other urban counties 8.55 bicyclists per 100,000 population. Table 7. Number and Percent of Non-Motorist Crashes by Region Type, 2020 Region Atlanta Region (10 counties) Other Urban (31 counties) Rural Counties (118 counties) Statewide Pedestrian Crashes Number Percent 1,343 58% 715 31% 274 2,332 12% 100% Bicyclist Crashes Number Percent 251 38% 322 49% 81 12% 654 100% Figure 3. Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crash Rate per 100,000 Population by Region Type, 2020 Pedestrian Crash Rate Bicyclist Crash Rate 21.77 6.11 28.59 5.34 18.99 8.55 12.19 3.60 STATEWIDE Atlanta Region Other Urban Source: CODES 2020; OASIS 2020 Rural 3 Rural counties are counties that have a residential population less than 50,000 persons. This is different than roadway classifications where urban road systems can be located in urban clusters (or metropolitan areas) of at least 2,500 persons within the rural counties. 4 The Atlanta Region includes the ten counties that are defined by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC): Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties. Page 6 Table 8 shows the percent of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes by region and roadway classification in 2020. Statewide, most pedestrian crashes occurred on minor arterial roadways (31 percent), and most bicyclist crashes occurred on local roadways (34 percent). In the Atlanta region, more pedestrian crashes occurred on minor arterial roadways (20 percent)--whereas most pedestrian crashes in other urban counties occur on principal arterial roadways. Within the Atlanta region, 19 percent of pedestrian fatalities (27 out of 133) occurred on the interstate (not shown). Table 8. Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes Involving Non-Motorists by Region and Roadway Classification, 2020 Non-Motorist Type Roadway Classification Atlanta Region Other Urban Rural Counties Counties Total Interstate 2% 1% Pedestrian Principal Arterial 12% 9% 1% 4% 3% 24% Minor Arterial 20% 8% 3% 31% Collectors 5% 4% 2% 12% Local 13% 8% 3% 24% Other 5% 1% -- 6% Total 58% 31% 12% 100% Interstate -- Bicyclist Principal Arterial 5% -10% -- -- 3% 18% Minor Arterial 12% 15% 2% 30% Collectors 5% 7% 2% 14% Local 13% 16% 4% 34% Other 2% 1% 1% 4% Total 38% 49% 12% 100% Source: Roadway data obtained for Numetric, 2020 Note: The sum of the individual cells may not equal row or column totals due to rounding error. In 2020, 88 out of 159 Georgia counties experienced at least one non-motorist traffic fatality. The counties with the highest number of pedestrian fatalities were DeKalb (72 pedestrian fatalities), Fulton (67), Clayton (59), and Cobb (45). While most pedestrian fatalities occurred in the Atlanta region, other urban counties and rural counties have higher rates of pedestrian serious and fatal injury per population and pedestrian crashes for every 1,000 motor vehicle crashes. Similarly, most bicyclist fatalities occurred in the Atlanta region and other rural counties like Chatham County; however, rural counties have higher rates of bicyclist serious and fatal injury per population and bicyclist crashes for every 1,000 motor vehicle crashes. Table 9. Top Counties with the Highest Non-Motorist Serious Injury and Fatal Crashes, 2020 Non-Motorist Type and Rank Serious Injuries and Fatalities Count Serious and Fatal Injury Rate per 100,000 Population Non-Motorists Crash Rate per 1,000 MV Crashes County Number County Rate County Rate Pedestrian 1 Dekalb 2 Fulton 72 Monroe 67 Clayton 21.4 Chattahoochee 28.6 20.2 Echols 22.2 3 Clayton 59 Grady 16.3 Johnson 19.8 4 Cobb 45 Dougherty 15.0 Terrell 19.6 5 Chatham 28 Treutlen 14.7 Turner 19.4 1 Chatham 8 Terrell 11.7 Terrell 13.1 Bicyclist 2 Cobb 8 Cook 11.6 Lanier 11.1 3 Bibb 6 Johnson 10.3 Randolph 10.8 4 Richmond 6 Lanier 9.3 Ben Hill 10.1 5 Fulton 6 Jeff Davis 6.6 Johnson 9.9 Source: CODES 2020; OASIS 2020 ; FARS 2020 Page 7 Environmental Characteristics Table 10 shows the information on environmental characteristics (location of crash, hit-and-run status, light condition, day, and season) describing where and when pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities occurred in 2020. More than half (55 percent) of the pedestrian crashes occurred at locations that were not intersections, whereas 62 percent of bicyclist crashes occurred at intersections. Over one-fifth (22 percent) of all pedestrian crashes and 17 percent of all bicyclist crashes were hit-and-runs. Half (50 percent) of the pedestrian crashes occurred in dark conditions, whereas 72 percent of bicyclist crashes occurred during daylight conditions. According to FARS, 80 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes occur during the nighttime hours (6:00 p.m. 5:59 a.m.). Most pedestrian and bicyclist weekday and weekend crashes occurred between 12:00 p.m. and 5:59 p.m. Nearly one-third (30 percent) of pedestrian crashes occurred in the winter months, and 31 percent of bicyclist crashes occurred in the fall months. Table 10. Motor Vehicle Crashes Involving Pedestrians and Bicyclists by Environmental Characteristics, 2020 Environmental Characteristics All Pedestrian Crashes Number Percent All Bicyclist Crashes Number Percent Location * Not at Intersection 1,287 55% 225 34% At Intersection 870 37% 407 62% Roadway Intersection 550 24% 283 43% In Crosswalk 217 9% 69 11% Driveway Intersection 60 3% 35 5% Sidewalk 34 1% 5 1% Other Intersection** 9 0.4% 15 2% Other Location 161 7% 18 3% On Shoulder 72 3% 15 2% Off Roadway 56 2% 2 0.3% Entrance/Exit Ramp 24 1% 1 0.2% Light Conditions Dark Daylight Dawn Dusk 1,167 50% 148 23% 1,083 46% 474 72% 25 1% 7 1% 51 2% 21 3% Time of Day Daytime (6:00a.m. 5:59p.m.) 1,076 46% 437 66% Nighttime (6:00p.m. 5:59a.m.) 1,256 53% 217 33% Day of Week / Time of Day Weekday (6:00a.m. Mon - 5:59p.m. Fri) 1,556 67% 456 70% 12:00 a.m. -5:59 a.m. 137 6% 16 2% 6:00 a.m. -11:59 a.m. 333 14% 92 14% 12:00 p.m. - 5:59 p.m. 541 23% 238 36% 6:00 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. 545 23% 110 17% Weekend (6:00p.m. Fri - 5:59a.m. Mon) 776 12:00 a.m. -5:59 a.m. 149 6:00 a.m. - 11:59 a.m. 63 12:00 p.m. - 5:59 p.m. 139 6:00 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. 425 Season / Time of Day 33% 198 6% 15 3% 28 6% 79 18% 76 30% 2% 4% 12% 12% Winter (Jan-Feb, Dec) Daytime Nighttime 688 30% 113 17% 330 14% 79 12% 358 15% 34 5% Spring (Mar-May) Daytime Nighttime 468 20% 169 26% 233 10% 123 19% 235 10% 46 7% Summer (Jun-Aug) Daytime Nighttime 504 22% 171 26% 242 10% 108 17% 262 11% 63 10% Fall (Sep-Nov) 672 29% 201 31% Daytime 271 12% 127 19% Nighttime 401 17% 74 11% *Location does not include crashes with unknown location or those less than 0.5 percent of total pedestrian or bike crashes. **Other intersections include roundabouts, railroad crossings, and manage lanes (i.e., HOV lanes). *** Nighttime and daytime groupings are based on the time of day in hours. The time- groupings do not consider the change in lighting conditions associated with the seasons (i.e., longer daylight hours in the summer). Source: CODES 2020 Page 8 Another important environmental factor that impacts the severity of traffic-related crash injuries is roadway characteristics. According to an AAA study, as vehicle speeds increase, the risk of pedestrian severe or fatal injuries increases. At low vehicle impact speed (15 mph or below), most pedestrians (91 percent) that are struck do not sustain severe or fatal injuries--8 percent will have a severe injury, and 2 percent will have a fatal injury. Pedestrians' risk of injury increases greatly when the vehicle impact speed increases at 25 mph or above. According to this 2011 AAA national study5, a vehicle impact speed at: 25 mph, resulted in 30% of struck pedestrians sustaining severe injuries and 12% sustaining fatal injuries 35 mph, resulted in 47% of struck pedestrians sustaining severe injuries and 20% sustaining fatal injuries 40 mph, resulted in 79% of struck pedestrians sustaining severe injuries and 45% sustaining fatal injuries The national findings are similar to the patterns experienced in Georgia--the risk of pedestrian serious and fatal injuries increased significantly on roadways with posted speed limits at or above 40 mph. Among the pedestrian crashes on roadways with a posted speed limit of 40 mph, 17% of struck pedestrians sustained serious injuries, and 22% of struck pedestrians sustained fatal injuries (Figure 4). In 2020, nearly four out of five pedestrian fatalities (80 percent) and more than half (56 percent) of pedestrian injuries occurred on roadways with posted speed limits at or above 40 mph. Figure 4. Percent of Pedestrian Crashes that Resulted in a Pedestrian Serious or Fatal Injury by Posted Speed Limit, 2020 % Serious Injury Crashes % Fatal Crashes 60% % of all Pedestrian Crashes 40% 22% 20% 17% 0% 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60+ Posted Speed Limit (MPH) Source: Numetric 2020 According to Numetric, 27 percent of all pedestrian crashes resulted in at least one pedestrian serious injury or fatality (Table 11). The percent of all pedestrian crashes that were either serious injury or fatal varied by roadway classification and traffic way-- 44 percent of pedestrian crashes on two-way, divided principal arterials resulted in a pedestrian serious injury or fatality, and 33 percent of pedestrian crashes on two-way, undivided principal arterials resulted in a pedestrian serious injury or fatality. Table 11. Percent of All Pedestrian Crashes that were Serious Injury or Fatal by Roadway Classification and Trafficway, 2020 Roadway Classification One-Way Two-Way, Divided Two-Way, Not Divided All Trafficways Interstate 60% 71% -- 68% Local / Collector 18% 13% 20% 19% Minor Arterial 6% 25% 29% 27% Principal Arterial All Roadway Classifications Source: Numetric 2020 21% 23% 44% 36% 33% 24% 38% 27% 5 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2011, "Impact Speed and a Pedestrian's Risk of Severe Injury or Death." Available online: https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2011PedestrianRiskVsSpeed.pdf Page 9 Contributing Circumstances According to FARS data, more contributing factors to fatal crashes were documented for fatally injured pedestrians than drivers involved in the crashes. Nearly one-fifth of all fatal pedestrian crashes have contributing factors reported for drivers involved in the crash. While underreported, the top contributing circumstances among pedestrians fatally injured in 2020: Failure to yield right-of-way (52 percent); Improper crossing of roadway or intersection (jaywalking) (27 percent); Darting or dashing into traffic (15 percent); and, In roadway improperly (standing, lying, working, playing, etc.) (12 percent). Other contributing circumstances among drivers involved in all pedestrian-related crashes include: Confirmed or suspected distracted drivers6 (48 percent of all drivers involved in pedestrian-related motor vehicle crashes); Driver failed to yield (24 percent); Driver vision was obscured, or pedestrian was not visible (10 percent); Improper turning, backing, signaling, or misjudged clearance (8 percent); Confirmed or suspected alcohol- and/or drug- impaired driver (7 percent); and, Speeding driver (3 percent). ALCOHOL INVOLVEMENT IN PEDESTRIAN-RELATED FATAL CRASHES In 2020, 10 percent of pedestrians and 2 percent of all drivers involved in pedestrian-related fatal crashes had some alcohol present in their system (BACs of .01 g/dL or higher). These numbers are likely to be underreported due to a large proportion of unreported/unknown BACs. See 'Data Considerations' for more information. Nearly one out of five pedestrians ages 45-to-54 had some alcohol at the time of the fatal crash--16 percent had a BAC greater than 0.08 g/dL. Table 12. Alcohol Involvement in Pedestrian-Related Fatal Crashes by Age Group and Person Type, 2020 Age Group Total Pedestrian Involved <15 8 15-24 34 15-20 15 21-24 19 25-34 44 35-44 47 45-54 37 55-64 66 65+ 43 Unknown 7 Total 286 Source: FARS 2020 Pedestrians .00 g/dL BAC 18% 7% 26% 16% 6% 5% 8% 23% 12% .01.07 g/dL BAC - 2% 3% 2% 1% .08+ g/dL BAC 6% 7% 5% 9% 11% 16% 8% 7% 9% Unknown 100% 76% 87% 68% 75% 81% 76% 83% 70% 100% 79% Total Drivers Involved 39 84 52 54 37 26 35 327 Drivers .00 g/dL BAC 10% 4% 6% 6% 5% 12% 6% .01.07 .08+ g/dL g/dL BAC BAC - - - - - - - - 2% 1% 2% 6% - - 1% 1% Unknown 90% 93% 87% 94% 95% 88% 92% Data Considerations: Alcohol impairment occurs when the driver's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely is compromised or when non-motorists experience reduced alertness and coordination. Impairment can occur above or below the Georgia legal limit of .08 g/dL. Additionally, the presence of alcohol may or may not be a contributing factor in the crash. Due to inherent limitations of the crash dataset, most pedestrians and drivers involved in traffic crashes do not have blood alcohol test results reported. 6 See the 2020 Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts "Data Considerations" section for more information on the suspected-distracted driver definition established by CODES. Page 10 Demographics Sex & Age The male incident rates were more than double the female incident rates. The male non-motorist crash rate per 100,000 population was 33.5 compared to 12.9 for females. The male non-motorist serious injury rate was 5.7 compared to 2.0 for females. The male non-motorist fatality rate was 4.3 compared to 1.5 for females males are nearly three times (2.9 times) more likely to be fatally injured compared to females. See the serious injury section and the cross-cutting highlight below (Older Pedestrian Population) for more information on pedestrian serious injuries and fatalities by age group. OLDER PEDESTRIAN POPULATION In 2020, pedestrians aged 65+ years represented 8 percent of all pedestrians involved in crashes (202 out of 2,449), 10 percent of all pedestrian serious injuries (34 out of 358), and 15 percent of all pedestrian fatalities (42 out of 279). Persons aged 65+ years represented 15 percent of the Georgia population in 2020--with an annual growth of 4 percent. As shown in Table 13, the number of pedestrians 65+ years of age that were seriously or fatally injured increased by 27 percent (from 63 in 2019 to 80 in 2020), and the rate of seriously or fatally injured pedestrians 65+ years increased by 22 percent (from 4.15 in 2019 to 5.08 in 2020). Table 14 shows the number, percent, and rate of serious injuries reported for each injury surveillance source for the older pedestrian population aged 55 years and older. Table 13. Older Pedestrian (Aged 65+ Years) Serious Injuries, Fatalities, and Injury Rate, 2016-2020 Year Serious Injury Fatalities Total Serious Injuries and Fatalities Number Annual % Change Population Number Annual % Change Rate Per 100,000 Population Rate Annual % Change 2016 42 26 68 19% 1,354,662 4% 5.02 15% 2017 56 36 92 35% 1,407,810 4% 6.53 30% 2018 22 42 64 -30% 1,460,409 4% 4.38 -33% 2019 33 30 63 -2% 1,516,954 4% 4.15 -5% 2020 38 42 80 27% 1,574,667 4% 5.08 22% Source: CODES 2020, FARS 2020, OASIS 2020 Table 14. Older Pedestrian (Aged 65+ Years) Traffic-Related Serious Injuries, Percent of Total Serious Injuries, and Rate by Age Group and Injury Surveillance Source, 2020 Age Group Police-Reported Suspected Serious Crash Injuries Emergency Medical Services Trauma Center Emergency Room Hospitalizations # % Rate # % Rate # % Rate # % Rate # % Rate Less than 55 281 78% 3.6 1,399 75% 17.9 586 71% 7.5 1,220 80% 15.6 453 69% 5.8 55-64 43 12% 3.3 288 15% 21.8 143 17% 10.8 197 13% 14.9 113 17% 8.5 65-74 21 6% 2.2 125 7% 13.0 72 9% 7.5 78 5% 8.1 62 9% 6.6 75-84 10 3% 2.2 46 2% 10.0 20 2% 4.4 28 2% 6.1 23 4% 5.0 85+ 3 1% 1.9 19 1% 12.2 5 1% 3.2 6 0% 3.9 3 0% 1.9 *Total 358 100% 3.3 1,877 100% 17.5 826 100% 7.7 1,529 100% 14.3 654 100% 6.1 *Includes twelve suspected serious injuries with unknown age. Source: CODES 2020, DPH-OHIP Hospital Inpatient Discharge and Emergency Room Visit Only Data 2020, GEMSIS 2020, Georgia Trauma Registry 2020 Page 11 Pedestrian Race/Hispanic Origin In 2020, Black/African American, Non-Hispanics represented the majority (42 percent) of pedestrians fatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes and 32 percent of the Georgia residential population compared to White, Non-Hispanics that represent 37 percent of pedestrian fatalities and 52 percent of the population (Table 7). The Black/African American, NonHispanic pedestrian fatality rate was higher than any other race 3.46 per 100,000 population (Figure 10). The pedestrian fatality rate per population among Black/African American Non-Hispanic individuals is nearly doubled (1.8 times) the pedestrian fatality rate experienced among White Non-Hispanics. According to the American Community Survey7, an estimated 62 percent of Black/African American Non-Hispanics use public transportation (excluding taxicabs) as a means of transportation to work in Georgia. Table 15. Pedestrian Fatalities by Race/Hispanic Origin, 2020 Race / Hispanic Origin Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black/African American, Non-Hispanic American Indian, NonHispanic/ Unknown Asian, Non-Hispanic Multiple Races Unspecified All Other Non-Hispanic or Race Unknown Race and Unknown Hispanic Georgia Population Percent of Total Population 10% 52% 32% <1% 4% 2% <1% -- Pedestrian Fatalities Number Percent 21 8% 104 37% 118 42% 1 <1% 5 2% 2 1% 1 <1% 27 10% Rate per 100,000 Population 1.97 1.88 3.46 ** ** ** ** ** TOTAL 100% 279 100% 2.61 Note: Race and Hispanic origin are not available in crash records. Source: FARS 2020 7 2020 American Community Survey 1-year estimates: Table S0802 Means of Transportation to Work by Selected Characteristics Page 12 Vulnerable Populations Vulnerable populations are communities within specific geographic areas that may be vulnerable in their ability to respond and prepare for public health emergencies and disasters. Demographic factors such as the proportion of community members without vehicles, with disabilities, older adults, minority status, and low-income/socioeconomic status are measures and attributes of socially vulnerable communities. According to the Georgia Traffic Safety Facts study called "Examining Social Vulnerability and the Association with Pedestrian Crashes" (Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System, 2022 ), there is a positive correlation between vulnerable census tracts in Georgia and the rates of pedestrian serious and fatal injury crashes across the Atlanta region, other urban regions, and rural regions. In other words, the more vulnerable a community is, the higher the rate of pedestrian serious and fatal injury crashes. This positive, significant relationship was present for overall social vulnerability (shown in Figure 5 for the Atlanta Region) as well as for socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation vulnerability themes. Figure 5. Bivariate Map of Serious Injury and Fatal Pedestrian Crash Rates (per 100,000 census tract population) and Social Vulnerability Index in the Atlanta Region, by Overall SVI and SVI Themes. Dark purple census tracts are communities with high social vulnerability and high pedestrian serious and fatal injury crash rates. Darker blue census tracts are communities with low social vulnerability and high pedestrian serious and fatal injury crash rates. Source: Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2022, July). Examining Social Vulnerability and the Association with Pedestrian Crashes: 2016-2020 data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety. CDC's SVI data and other related sociodemographic variables can be leveraged to impartially assess roadway and public health concerns related to pedestrian safety. The findings from this research may encourage stakeholders to apply SVI assessments when implementing pedestrian safety efforts (i.e., engineering improvements, programmatic interventions, campaigning and education efforts, and other countermeasures to improve pedestrian safety). Page 13 Safety Equipment & Protective Gear Pedestrian Safety Equipment Use Safety equipment for pedestrians includes clothing or materials that make the pedestrian more visible to others. This can include reflective gear and the use of lights (white in the front and red in the back) at night or dusk when visibility is poor. Safety equipment use among pedestrians is a relatively new field in police crash reports, and in 2020 safety equipment use was recorded for 42 percent of all pedestrians involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes (1,030 out of 2,449 pedestrians). Of those pedestrians with known equipment use, 4 percent were using lighting or reflective clothing (44 out of 1,030). Bicycle Helmet Use In 2020, safety equipment use was recorded for 90 percent of all bicyclists involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes (606 out of 677 bicyclists). Of those bicyclists with known equipment use, 23 percent wore a helmet, reflective clothing, or lighting (140 out of 606). Among the 83 bicyclists fatally injured in traffic crashes between 2018 and 2020, 8 percent were helmeted, 60 percent were un-helmeted, and 31 percent had an unknown or unreported helmet use. Personal Conveyances According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), people fatally injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes who were on "personal conveyances" are not classified as pedestrians. "Personal conveyances" are defined as roller skates, inline skates, skateboards, baby strollers, scooters, toy wagons, motorized skateboards, motorized toy cars, Segway-style devices, motorized and nonmotorized wheelchairs, and scooters for those with disabilities. Table 15 presents the distribution of people fatally injured on personal conveyances as a percentage of total traffic fatalities in 2015-2020. Before 2020, FARS did not contain information about the type of personal conveyances used by those fatally injured in traffic crashes. Table 15. Total Traffic Fatalities and Personal Conveyance Fatalities, 20162020 Year Total Traffic Fatalities Personal Conveyance Number Percent 2016 1,556 2 0.1% 2017 1,540 6 0.4% 2018 1,504 4 0.3% 2019 1,491 11 0.7% 2020 1,664 ** ** Note: Personal conveyance fatalities for 2020 was unavailable at the reporting time. Source: FARS 2020 Page 14 Data Definitions and Considerations: This fact sheet defines a pedestrian as any person on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting, or lying down who is involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash. These exclude people on personal conveyances like roller skates, inline skates, skateboards, baby strollers, scooters, toy wagons, motorized skateboards, motorized toy cars, Segway-style devices, motorized and non-motorized wheelchairs, and scooters for those with disabilities. Bicyclists and other cyclists include riders of two-wheel, non-motorized vehicles, tricycles, and unicycles powered solely by pedals. A traffic crash is defined as an incident that involved one or more motor vehicles where at least one vehicle was in transport, and the crash originated on a public trafficway, such as a road or highway. Crashes that occurred on private property, including parking lots and driveways, are excluded. However, in some cases where pedestrian and bicyclist injuries are discussed, traffic and non-traffic (i.e., occurring on any place other than a traffic way trail, driveway, parking lot, or sidewalk) incidences are included in the aggregate reporting. Fatal crashes are defined as crashes that involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and that result in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash. Serious injuries are those suspected serious injuries reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred. "At Intersection" is used when a person is on a roadway either (1) in the intersection, (2) in the area between a crosswalk and the perimeter of the intersection, or (3) in a crosswalk (marked or unmarked) adjacent to an intersection. "Intersection-Related" is used when a person is within the trafficway 50 feet out from the perimeter of an intersection area or if the crash is related to the flow of traffic through an intersection. "Not at Intersection" is when the person is more than 50 feet out from the perimeter of an intersection, and the crash is not identified as related to the movement of vehicles through an intersection. "Non-Trafficway Locations" are crashes that occur outside the boundaries of the trafficway (i.e., driveways or parking lots). The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the Federal agency responsible for use of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision (ICD-10) in the United States, has developed a clinical modification (CM) of the classification for morbidity (EMS, trauma, hospital, and ER data) purposes. ICD-10 Codes used were Pedestrian traffic - V02-V04 (.1,.9), V09.2, Pedestrian non-traffic - V02-V04 (.0),V01,V05,V06,V09 (.0,.1,.3,.9),Pedal cyclist traffic V12-V14 (.3-.9) V19 (.4-.6), Pedal cyclist non-traffic - V19(.4-.6),V10-V11,V12-V14(.0-.2),V15-V18,V19(.0-.3,.8,.9). Contributing circumstances capture the precrash elements or improper actions of persons (pedestrians, bicyclists, other cyclists, and motorists) that may have caused the crash. There is at least one record per person involved in a fatal crash (FARS Data) and some missing records for persons involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes (Crash Data). The Fatality Analytics Reporting System (FARS) and crash data expanded the safety equipment field to include new attributes related to non-motorist safety equipment (e.g., reflective equipment/clothing, protective pad, lighting, and other safety equipment). These new attributes were added after 2017 and may impact the trending and interpreting of safety equipment use over time. Additionally, FARS data allow the entry of multiple safety equipment being used in a single fatal crash event. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) values are imputed to address the problem of missing blood alcohol test results in FARS data system. A multiple imputation methodology is employed to generate specific values of BAC for persons involved in fatal crashes. Rural counties are counties that have a population of less than 50,000 according to the United States decennial census of 2010 or any future such census (OCGA Section 31-6-2). This is different than roadway classifications, where urban road systems can be located in urban clusters (or metropolitan areas) of at least 2,500 persons within the rural counties Additional Information: The shorter Fact Sheet for non-motorists can be found on the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) website: http://www.dot.ga.gov/DS/SafetyOperation/SBS Other fact sheets and traffic safety topics are available on the Governor's Office of Highway Safety website: https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/highway-safety/shsp/ References: Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2022, July). Examining Social Vulnerability and the Association with Pedestrian Crashes: 2016-2020 data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety. The suggested APA format citation for this document is: Georgia Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2022, July). Pedestrians and Bicyclists: 2020 data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety. Page 15