Dangerous by Design 2014 Hawaii

From Smart Growth America May, 2014

The Dangerous By Design 2014 report shows that while older residents age 65+ comprise 13.7 percent of our population, they accounted for nearly 42 percent of pedestrian fatalities across Hawaii from 2003-2010 (highest in the country per capita).

This report, including data for each state and an interactive map of 47,000+ pedestrian fatalities from 2003 to 2012, can be found online at:  www.smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design

Hawaii

Between 2003 and 2012, 262 people were killed while walking in Hawaii, representing 20.6% of the 1,269 traffic-related fatalities in the state during this period. Hawaii’s overall Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) is 34.97, which places it 28th nationally. For the years 2003 to 2010, these fatalities include 11 children under 16 and 98 adults aged 65 or older.

63.0% of these people were killed on arterial roads, which are eligible to receive federal funding for construction or improvement, with federal design guidance or oversight. Arterials are often designed and operated to maximize the speed of automotive traffic and not for pedestrian safety and comfort, despite running through places where people need and want to walk.

Over that decade, 19.8% of pedestrian deaths occurred on roadways with a speed limit of 40 mph or higher. 37.0% were on streets with a posted speed limit under 30 mph and just 3.5% of pedestrians died on streets with a speed limit of 20 mph or lower.

In Hawaii, adults 65 or older make up 13.7% of the state’s population and represent 41.9% of its pedestrian fatalities from 2003–2010. Older pedestrians died at a rate of 6.8 per 100,000 residents in Hawaii, compared to 1.50 per 100,000 for residents under age 65, ranking 1st nationally for fatality rate among pedestrians 65 and older.

Fatality rates vary by race and ethnicity. The average annual fatality rate for non-Hispanic whites in Hawaii was 1.97; data was insufficient for black people and African Americans; data was insufficient for Hispanics; for Asians and Pacific Islanders, 2.4; data was insufficient for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Download Dangerous by Design 2014: Hawaii, including our state-specific findings and recommendations for decision makers at the state and federal levels.

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CB: Why Is It So Dangerous for Pedestrians in Hawaii?