Dare County pedestrian fatality rate among highest in the U.S.
A new study shows Dare County had one of the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities in the country over a five year period.
Of the 18 vehicle-related fatalities in Dare County between 2017 and 2021, seven were pedestrians, 38.89%, to rank 13th highest in the country.
“It is alarming how high Dare County ranks in pedestrian fatalities. Even one preventable death is too many,” said Ben Saltzman, Chair of the OBX Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Coalition.
While ranking as the highest in North Carolina, Dare County is also the only county in the top 20 that is not a major city or in a metropolitan area, other than Harrisonburg, Virginia (36.36%, 4 of 11 deaths).
The coalition was founded in 2013 as a partnership of local businesses, concerned citizens and local law enforcement to help facilitate the education and awareness of practical bicycle and pedestrian safety to drivers.
“The Outer Banks Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Coalition is working to spread awareness of safe routes and paths around our communities, provide free bicycle lights and helmets to those who need them, and advocate for infrastructure projects that could make a difference in preventing bicycle and pedestrian fatalities,” Saltzman said.
The coalition works with the local business community to help educate summer workers who come from place where walking and biking is more common, easier to commute and safer than in “rural” areas of the United States like the Outer Banks.
“To have more impact we could use more help. I would urge anyone who is interested in getting involved to contact us via our website, obxbikeped.org, or on social media @obxbikeped,” Saltzman said.
Alexandria, Virginia, had the highest percentage of pedestrian fatalities in the country of 60% in the country, followed by Manhattan, N.Y. (51.69%); Brooklyn, N.Y. (51.07%); San Francisco, Calif. (49.35%); and Staten Island, N.Y. (48.98%).
Rated 6 through 10: Queens, N.Y. (46.36%); Essex Co., N.J. (46.29%); Hudson Co., N.J. (46.28%); Union Co., N.J. (45.14%); Bergen Co., N.J. (44.13%);
Bronx, N.Y. (42.51%); Suffolk Co., Mass. (39.52%); Dare Co., N.C. (38.89%); Camden, N.J. (38.68%); Arlington, Va. (38.46%) were 11 through 15.
Rounding out the top 20 were Anchorage, Alaska (38.38%); Clayton Co., Ga. (37.86%), Mercer Co., N.J. (37.50%); Baltimore City, Md. (36.63%; and Harrisonburg, Va. (36.36%).
To determine the rankings, Louisiana-based Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers analyzed data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data on fatal car crashes from 2017 to 2021, focusing on counties which had recorded at least 10 fatalities from vehicle crashes over the period, and identified those with the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities in traffic accidents.
The more important statistic is how many were not in a crosswalk.