Study: 11 Pedestrians In Mpls. Are Killed Per Year By Vehicles

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Every two hours, someone in the U.S. is struck and killed while walking, according to a study released Wednesday.

A nationwide report found pedestrian deaths increased 35 percent from 2008 to 2017.

One of the reasons is people are driving more and in larger vehicles, and another reason is distracted driving.

Modern streets with wide lanes and higher speed limits, like those in Florida, top the list for pedestrian fatalities.

The study suggests one way to keep pedestrians safe is to install better street lighting in suburbs so drivers can see people walking at night.

A separate study looked at pedestrian safety, specifically in Minneapolis, and it found an average of 11 people were killed per year.

A majority of crashes happen at intersections -- most of which have traffic signals -- and fatal incidents were higher in low-income neighborhoods with a high population of minorities.

The Public Works Department will take this information and make recommendations to the city in hopes of making Minneapolis streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The study also found fewer cyclists are involved in crashes, despite more people biking around town.