Research

Since 1996, the Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP) has reported on overall pedestrian safety in major metropolitan areas through its Mean Streets reports. This year, Safe Kids Worldwide has ranked metropolitan areas to find the most dangerous places for child pedestrians.  

New research report is now available!

Austin, Texas, is the safest U.S. metro area for child pedestrians, among 47 major metropolitan areas included in a study released today by Safe Kids Worldwide.

The most dangerous of the areas evaluated were:

• Memphis, Tennessee
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In Child Pedestrians at Risk: A Ranking of U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Safe Kids confirmed that child pedestrian safety is a nationwide problem, but communities are most successful in creating safe pedestrian environments for children when they develop and implement solutions at the local level.

The Method

The ranking was generated using a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI)  to compare child pedestrian safety in 47 major metropolitan areas. 

The PDI, which was based on a formula created by the STPP, is calculated by dividing the average annual fatality rate for children ages 14 and under by the annual percentage of walking trips taken by children. Only metro areas with populations of one million or more were included in the ranking.

The study also looked for common factors in relatively safe cities and relatively dangerous cities. There were three major components involved in explaining these results: 

• A technical panel of experts from the Federal Highway Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maryland State Highway Administration and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation.

• Primary data existing through various government agencies.

• A survey of 56 Safe Kids coalitions located in 33 of the ranked Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). 

Comparisons of the most and least dangerous metro areas (the top and bottom third of the ranking) were used to determine factors that may influence pedestrian safety for children.

The Results

The results of our research are meant to provide an opportunity for Safe Kids coalitions and communities to continue to improve pedestrian safety in their areas.