Close to 6,000 pedestrians were killed in auto-related accidents in 2016, up 46% from the number of pedestrian deaths in 2008, the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said in a report Tuesday. That number represents the highest number of pedestrian deaths since 1990.
The IIHS says that the rise in pedestrian deaths has risen in part due to the fast arterial roads in urban-suburban areas and in part due to the number of SUVs driving on those roads, The Washington Post reports. The majority of the deaths occurred on roads that were being used to get onto freeways and involves SUVs or other vehicles with significant horsepower—the thought being that many of the drivers were speeding when the accident took place.
In order to prevent a continued rise in deaths, the institute suggests higher standards for headlights be implemented in order to offer drivers more visibility at night. While many vehicles now come with daytime running lights, it says that vehicle’s lights during evening hours aren’t as good as they could be and that brighter lights could potentially help prevent future deaths.
