Examining the Characteristics of Fatal Pedestrian Crashes
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Summary
This study addresses the disproportionate risk faced by pedestrians in Utah, who constitute over 12% of roadway fatalities despite accounting for less than 2% of all trips. Motivated by the Utah Pedestrian Safety Action Plan and significant inconsistencies in crash reporting, the research aims to improve the Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) understanding of fatal pedestrian crashes. The study specifically investigates limitations in current data collection, identifies common characteristics of fatal incidents, assesses the role of pedestrian and driver fault, and examines temporal patterns and differences between fatal and non-fatal crashes. The methodology involved analyzing two primary datasets. First, a detailed evaluation was conducted on 119 fatal pedestrian crashes occurring between 2012 and 2014, sourced from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This analysis incorporated crash reports, witness statements, scene notes, and news reports to identify contributing factors. Second, a broader dataset of 17,353 pedestrian crash records from 2006 to 2015 was analyzed to compare fatal and non-fatal incidents. Statistical methods included summary statistics, Pearson’s Chi-Square tests for categorical data, independent samples t-tests for comparing means, and binary logistic regression to predict fatality risk based on various conditions. The findings revealed significant data quality issues, with only 33% of fatal crash reports containing no coding errors and 15% lacking any narrative description. Regarding crash characteristics, fatal incidents were significantly more likely to occur in inclement weather with wet or icy roads, during early spring or late fall, and in lower light conditions. Vehicles in fatal crashes were traveling significantly faster and were traveling straight in 78% of cases, compared to turning maneuvers in non-fatal crashes. Driver contributions included distraction (20%), intoxication (9.5%), and speeding (5%). Pedestrian contributions included improper crossing (21.5%), being improperly in the roadway (10%), and lack of visibility (8%). Pedestrians killed in crashes were, on average, 14 years older than those who survived. Logistic regression indicated that crashes occurring on weekends, in bad weather, on multi-lane roadways, or involving speeding drivers were significantly more likely to be fatal. The study concludes that inaccurate crash reporting undermines safety programming and decision-making. It recommends a thorough evaluation of crash report forms, enhanced training for law enforcement on accurately documenting pedestrian crashes, and annual evaluations of existing pedestrian safety programs. By identifying specific risk factors such as speed, visibility, and impairment, the research provides a basis for targeted interventions to reduce pedestrian fatalities.
Key finding
Fatal pedestrian crashes are significantly more likely to occur when vehicles are traveling straight at excessive speeds in low-light or inclement weather conditions, and crash reports for these incidents frequently contain coding errors or lack narrative detail.
Methodology
dataset
Sample size: 119
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | rosap | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-23 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.
- vru crash typology
- demographic disparities
- pre crash contributing factors
- incidence prevalence
- pedestrian behavior perception
- fatality injury trends
Information type
What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).
- Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes