Why It Matters
Pedestrian safety remains a critical public health and law enforcement concern across the United States, and a new national report offers rare encouraging news. For Iowa and the broader Midwest region, the data signals that state-level policy changes and infrastructure investments may be beginning to reduce traffic fatalities — though deaths remain above pre-pandemic benchmarks. The findings carry implications for road design, crosswalk legislation, and driver accountability measures nationwide.
What Happened
Pedestrian deaths in the United States fell 11% during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to a March 25 report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). The organization, which has tracked pedestrian fatalities for 15 years, identified this as the largest single recorded drop in its reporting history.
Drivers struck and killed 3,024 people in the first six months of 2025, representing 371 fewer deaths than during the same window the year before. The GHSA attributed part of the decline to state-level actions including new crosswalk warning technology and updated laws requiring drivers to stop for pedestrians.
Despite the progress, the GHSA cautioned that fatality totals remain higher than 2019 levels — the last full year before a documented surge in dangerous driving behaviors tied to the pandemic era.
By the Numbers
- 3,024 pedestrian deaths were recorded in the first half of 2025 nationwide.
- 371 fewer people were killed compared to the first half of 2024, representing an 11% decrease.
- Fatalities increased in 24 states and dropped in 23 states during the period.
- Five states — Alabama, California, Maryland, New Mexico, and New York — accounted for more than two-thirds of the total national decline.
- New Mexico saw one of the sharpest drops, falling from 53 deaths to 27 in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, a decrease of nearly 50%.
- The lowest pedestrian fatality rates per 100,000 residents were recorded in Idaho and Rhode Island (both 0.5), followed by Minnesota, South Dakota (both 0.6), and Wisconsin (0.7).
Regional Context: Midwest Among the Safest
Midwestern states, including those neighboring Iowa, consistently ranked among the lowest in pedestrian fatality rates per capita. Minnesota and South Dakota both posted rates of 0.6 deaths per 100,000 residents, while Wisconsin recorded 0.7 — placing the region well below national averages and far below the highest-rate states.
The highest fatality rates were concentrated in warmer-climate states with heavy pedestrian activity and highway infrastructure challenges. Hawaii led with 3.5 deaths per 100,000, followed by Louisiana at 3.4, and Florida, South Carolina, and Arizona each at 3.0.
Hawaii’s situation is notable because its fatality count actually increased during the same period — jumping from 16 deaths in early 2024 to 25 in early 2025 — even as national numbers fell. The state is now considering legislation that would require drivers to stop and remain stopped for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Zoom Out: State Policies Driving the Decline
The GHSA report points to a range of state-level interventions as potential contributors to the national drop. New Mexico, which had posted the highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country in 2023 and saw rates climb further in 2024, reversed course sharply after deploying new crosswalk technology. Flashing warning lights that activate when a pedestrian steps into a crosswalk have been piloted in several Albuquerque-area locations.
Legislative changes are also being credited in states where fatality rates have fallen. Oregon and Washington both implemented “stop and remain stopped” pedestrian crosswalk standards, which have been cited in testimony before Hawaii’s legislature as models for improving safety outcomes. The explicit legal requirement places greater accountability on drivers rather than relying solely on pedestrian caution or infrastructure design.
Nationally, traffic safety advocates and transportation departments have increasingly emphasized a combination of physical infrastructure upgrades, technology deployment, and stricter driver responsibility laws as a multi-layered approach to reducing roadway deaths.
What’s Next
Hawaii lawmakers are expected to continue deliberations on the proposed crosswalk safety bill introduced in February 2026. Other states with elevated fatality rates may face similar legislative pressure as the GHSA data receives wider attention.
The GHSA is expected to release full-year 2025 pedestrian fatality data later in 2026, which will provide a clearer picture of whether the first-half trend held through the remainder of the year. Transportation officials and law enforcement agencies in states where fatalities increased — 24 in total — will likely face calls to examine both infrastructure conditions and driver enforcement practices heading into the second half of the year.