A detailed breakdown of national pedestrian fatality data has identified the specific vehicle types, days of the week, and traffic conditions most closely associated with pedestrian deaths on American roads. The findings, released by Premier Law Group, reveal that the overwhelming majority of pedestrian fatalities involve the most common vehicles on U.S. roads, that risk spikes sharply at the end of the working week, and that the combination of increased traffic volume, reduced visibility, and elevated alcohol consumption during Friday and weekend evenings creates conditions that are consistently and measurably more dangerous for people on foot.
In 2023, 7,314 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes, representing 17.9% of all U.S. traffic fatalities. The vehicle type and temporal data behind those deaths point clearly toward where prevention efforts, enforcement resources, and infrastructure investment would have the greatest potential impact.
Light Trucks Were Involved in Nearly Half of All Pedestrian Fatalities
Among the vehicle types involved in pedestrian deaths, light trucks, including SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans, collectively accounted for the largest share. Light trucks were involved in 3,437 pedestrian fatalities, representing 47% of all pedestrian deaths recorded in 2023. SUVs alone were involved in 1,922 fatalities (26.3% of the total), while light truck pickups contributed a further 1,233 deaths (16.9%) and light truck vans added 282 (3.9%).
Passenger cars remained the single most common vehicle type involved in pedestrian fatalities in absolute terms, accounting for 2,368 deaths, or 32.4% of the total. Together, passenger cars and light trucks were involved in just over 75% of all pedestrian fatalities, a proportion that reflects both the dominance of these vehicle types in the U.S. fleet and the frequency with which they travel through the urban, suburban, and residential environments where pedestrians are most present.
The growing prevalence of light trucks in the U.S. vehicle fleet carries specific safety implications for pedestrians. Light trucks typically feature higher front-end profiles and greater mass than passenger cars, meaning that when a crash occurs, pedestrians are more likely to be struck in the torso or upper body rather than the lower body, a dynamic that increases the likelihood of severe or fatal injury. Larger vehicles also tend to have more significant front blind spots, making it harder for drivers to detect pedestrians, particularly in low-speed environments such as parking lots, residential streets, and urban intersections where pedestrian presence is highest.
Large trucks, including commercial freight vehicles, were involved in 466 pedestrian deaths (6.4%), while buses and motorcycles accounted for comparatively small shares at 0.7% and 0.5%, respectively. Other or unknown vehicle types accounted for a further 958 fatalities (13.1%).
Friday Is the Most Dangerous Day of the Week for Pedestrians
The temporal distribution of pedestrian fatalities reveals a sharp and consistent end-of-week risk spike. Friday was the deadliest day of the week for pedestrians in 2023, with 1,155 deaths representing 15.8% of the annual total. Saturday followed closely at 1,150 deaths (15.7%) and Sunday at 1,116 (15.3%), meaning that the Friday to Sunday window collectively accounted for 3,421 pedestrian deaths, or 46.8% of all pedestrian fatalities for the year.
By contrast, pedestrian fatalities were substantially lower during the earlier part of the working week. Tuesday recorded the fewest deaths at 909 (12.4%), followed by Wednesday at 990 (13.5%) and Thursday at 981 (13.4%). Monday’s 1,013 fatalities (13.8%) represented the transition point between the relative safety of midweek and the escalating risk of the weekend.
Several factors combine to explain the pronounced Friday peak and sustained weekend elevation. Increased traffic volume is a primary driver, with Friday marking the transition from weekday commuting to weekend travel. More vehicles are on the road for longer distances and during later hours, and more pedestrians are active in urban entertainment districts, restaurant corridors, retail areas, and residential neighborhoods as social activity increases.
Reduced visibility compounds the risk. A large proportion of pedestrian fatalities occur during nighttime hours, and Friday and weekend evenings involve extended nighttime travel alongside elevated pedestrian activity in areas that are not always well-lit. Alcohol consumption rises significantly on Friday and weekend evenings, contributing to both impaired driving and impaired pedestrian behavior, a factor explored further in the broader study findings.
