Although pedestrians are involved in only 2 percent of all traffic crashes, they are 16 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States. Data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) for 1984 indicate that pedestrian fatalities have decreased 7 percent since 1975 with the greatest decrease in child (under age 14) fatalities (-42%). Pedestrian fatality rates per 100,000 population are lowest for children under 14 and highest for people 65 or older. For pedestrians aged 14-64, the rates have not changed over the past 10 years. Alcohol involvement is most prevalent in this age group.

Data indicate that 40% of adult pedestrians (over age 14) are intoxicated at the time of their death. Three out of five of the fatally injured pedestrians who are intoxicated are at very high blood alcohol levels (BACs ≥.20%).

Intoxicated pedestrians are more likely to be male, aged 25 to 64 and involved in a fatal accident between 12 midnight and 6 AM, on a rural roadway, away from an intersection, with the striking vehicle being a passenger car, light truck or a hit and run vehicle.

A total of 2500 intoxicated adult pedestrians continue to be killed each year with very little change since 1975. Available countermeasures for possible consideration include dram shop laws applied to pedestrian victims and technology transfer of new, innovative ideas that have worked to reduce child pedestrian fatalities.