Three national associations, Complete Streets Coalition, AARP, and ASLA have released the 2014 Dangerous by Design report, which presents data on pedestrian safety and fatalities within metro areas.

The Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America, together with AARP and American Society of Landscape Architects, has released the 2014 Dangerous by Design report, which presents data on pedestrian safety and fatalities within metro areas.

According to the report more than 47,000 people nationwide died and 676,000 were injured while walking on our streets between 2003 and 2012, a number which is on the rise.

"We are allowing an epidemic of pedestrian fatalities, brought on by streets designed for speed and not safety, to take nearly 5,000 lives a year; a number that increased six percent between 2011 and 2012," said Roger Millar, Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition. "Not only is that number simply too high, but these deaths are easily prevented through policy, design, and practice."

The report finds that these deaths can be prevented through changes to the design of our streets: providing sidewalks, installing high-visibility crosswalks and refuge islands, and calming traffic speeds.

"More and more Americans are choosing communities that are walkable and accessible for pedestrians, children and older Americans, but that shouldn't be a luxury," said Nancy Somerville, Executive Vice President & CEO of the American Society of Landscape Architects. "Simple and affordable additions or retrofits to traffic signals, pedestrian islands and sidewalks can make a huge difference in safety and protection."

To read the complete report click here.

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