Here is a shorter overview of pedestrian safety, drawing on the information from the sources:

Pedestrian safety is a major concern, underscored by the fact that a significant majority of fatalities occur in dark conditions, accounting for approximately 78% of pedestrian deaths according to NHTSA data. This highlights the critical challenge of reduced visibility after dark. Drivers' ability to detect pedestrians is severely diminished at night, and they may underestimate how restricted their vision becomes. This risk is exacerbated by factors like inadequate street lighting, speeding, and driver distraction.

To improve safety, enhancing pedestrian conspicuity is vital. High-visibility clothing (HVC) uses fluorescent materials for daylight visibility (especially dawn/dusk) and retroreflective materials for low-light and nighttime conditions with artificial light like headlights. Retroreflective material is crucial for nighttime visibility as it reflects light back to the source, appearing bright to drivers. Combining both provides visibility across all conditions. Standards like ANSI/ISEA 107 suggest retroreflective material should be visible from a minimum of 1000 feet. Practical advice for pedestrians includes wearing bright/fluorescent colors in the day, retroreflective materials at night, aiming for 360-degree coverage, ensuring proper fit, and using accessories that highlight motion.

Pedestrian risk is concentrated in certain areas. A striking 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur at locations that are not intersections, often happening mid-block where safe, formal crossing facilities are lacking. Uncontrolled crossings are particularly hazardous. Roadway design fundamentally impacts safety; absence of sidewalks forces pedestrians into the street, wide roads encourage higher speeds, and fatality risk rises dramatically with impact speeds above 25 mph. Parking lots and driveways also present frequent conflict points.

Key contributing factors include driver behaviors such as speeding, distraction, and impairment (alcohol/drugs involved in nearly half of driver-caused fatalities in one dataset). Pedestrian actions like distraction (phone use, earbuds) and impairment also play a role. Environmental factors like adverse weather and vehicular factors like larger SUVs can contribute. Systemic inequities, including underinvestment in infrastructure in marginalized communities, lead to disproportionately high risks for certain groups like Black and Indigenous people, older adults, and those with low socioeconomic status.

Reducing pedestrian fatalities requires a comprehensive, multi-layered approach, aligning with the Safe System Approach. Strategies include:

• Engineering: Providing sidewalks, enhancing crosswalks (e.g., RRFBs, PHBs, refuge islands, lighting, high-visibility markings), implementing traffic calming, and managing speed through design.
• Policy/Enforcement: Adopting Vision Zero/Complete Streets policies and conducting targeted enforcement of dangerous behaviors.
• Education: Reinforcing safety messages, most effective when combined with engineering and enforcement.
• Individual Responsibility: Pedestrians being visible/alert and drivers being vigilant/yielding/unimpaired.
• Community Engagement: Ensuring equitable safety planning.

Pedestrian fatalities are preventable system failures. Achieving zero fatalities demands a shift to a proactive, systemic approach that prioritizes safety for all road users.