As someone who walks to work or takes jogs in the morning, it’s important to know that you’re going to be safe on and near roadways. Oregon seems to be safe generally speaking, but if you’re struck by a car because a driver is being negligent, it can cause an impact that radiates throughout your family and creates difficulties for you now and in the future.
Oregon has seen a number of pedestrian accidents take place in 2015, and data from 2013 reports show the number of pedestrian deaths versus the number of traffic accidents normal for the area. This data shows how dangerous the state can be for those who choose to walk or run in the area.
According to the data, 48 pedestrians were killed in 2013, which made up 15 percent of the total fatalities in the state that year. There were actually fewer motorcyclist deaths, only 31, than pedestrian deaths, making up only 10 percent of the total fatality count.
Oregon didn’t have the highest number of pedestrian deaths; Washington, D.C. had pedestrians making up 45 percent of all fatalities for the year, placing it at the top of the list for the most dangerous place to be a pedestrian.
Also interesting is the fact that more men are killed each year than women in pedestrian accidents or road accidents of any type. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 3,247 men were killed in pedestrian accidents, but only 1,482 women were. Men made up 69 percent of total pedestrian deaths throughout the United States in 2013.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “General Statistics,” accessed Aug. 19, 2015