Research Note on Child Pedestrian Fatality Rates Now Available on NHTSA's Web Site

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
November 12, 2003

NHTSA 47-03
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Contact: Ellen Martin
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today posted a study of child pedestrian fatalities on its web site (http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/www.nhtsa.gov). Among its findings, the Research Note indicates that sport utility vehicles, pickups and vans fatally injured child pedestrians at a higher rate than did passenger cars during the period 1997 to 2001.

From 1992 through 2001, there were 6,679 pedestrian fatalities among children aged 0 to 15 years old. This number represents 12.6 percent of all pedestrian fatalities for that 10-year time period.

The agency's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) compared child pedestrian fatality rates for two five-year periods: 1992 to 1996 and 1997 to 2001. Rates were categorized according to the body type of the striking vehicle (passenger car, sport utility vehicle, pickup truck or van).

The Research Note focuses on child pedestrian fatalities by age groups: 0 to 3; 4 to 7; and 8 to 15. The age group of 16 and older is also included for the purpose of comparison.

The report is at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rnotes/2003/809-640/index.html