Pedestrian crashes can cause some of the most serious injuries on Georgia roads because people on foot have little physical protection when a vehicle strikes them. The latest available data also shows why pedestrian safety remains an important issue in Georgia. In 2025, Georgia had a preliminary, adjusted total of 259 pedestrian fatalities, down from 297 in 2024 and 335 in 2022.
Statistics provide useful context, but they do not determine who is legally responsible for an individual collision. A pedestrian injury claim depends on the evidence from the particular crash, including driver conduct, pedestrian conduct, traffic laws, roadway conditions, witness accounts, video, medical records, and available insurance coverage.
Key Takeaways
- GHSA’s July 2026 preliminary data projects 259 pedestrian fatalities in Georgia for 2025, down 12.8% from 297 in 2024.
- Georgia’s projected pedestrian fatality rate for 2025 was 2.34 deaths per 100,000 residents, down from 2.72 in 2024.
- National GHSA data found that 76.5% of pedestrian fatalities with known lighting conditions occurred after dark in 2024. This is national data, not a Georgia-specific percentage.
- Nationally, 84% of pedestrian crashes occurred in urban areas in 2024, while rural crashes were more likely to be fatal. These figures provide context and should not be presented as Georgia-specific.
- Georgia’s pedestrian injury claims are evaluated under the facts and law applicable to the individual collision, including pedestrian right-of-way rules and comparative fault.
- Crash reports, witness statements, video, photographs, medical records, and financial documentation can help establish liability and damages.
How Many Pedestrians Are Killed in Georgia Each Year?
The latest statewide figures available as of October 2026 come from the Governors Highway Safety Association’s July 2026 report, which uses preliminary state data and adjusts it based on historical reporting differences.
- 2019: 239
- 2020: 281
- 2021: 321
- 2022: 335
- 2023: 311
- 2024: 297
- 2025 preliminary adjusted: 259
The 2025 preliminary figure represents a 12.8% decline from Georgia’s 2024 total and a 22.7% decline from the 2022 figure. Because the 2025 number is preliminary, it should be described as a projection rather than a final count.
Source: GHSA, Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 Preliminary Data.
Georgia’s Pedestrian Fatality Rate
GHSA projects Georgia’s 2025 pedestrian fatality rate at 2.34 deaths per 100,000 residents, compared with 2.72 per 100,000 in 2024. A statewide fatality rate is a public-safety measure; it does not by itself establish negligence in an individual injury claim.
See the GHSA state data report for the underlying methodology and state figures.
What Do the Latest Pedestrian Crash Statistics Reveal?
Georgia-specific fatality counts show the overall scale and recent direction of the problem. More detailed crash-pattern data can provide context about when and where pedestrian collisions are most dangerous, but it is important to distinguish national findings from Georgia-specific measurements.
Nighttime Crashes Are a Major National Concern
GHSA’s analysis of 2024 national pedestrian fatality data found that 76.5% of pedestrian fatalities with known lighting conditions occurred after dark, compared with 19.9% during daylight and 3.6% at dawn or dusk. Those figures are national rather than Georgia-specific.
See GHSA’s 2025 pedestrian fatality report for the national crash-pattern analysis.
Urban Areas Account for Most National Pedestrian Crashes
GHSA reported that 84% of pedestrian crashes in 2024 occurred in urban areas. At the same time, 15.1% of rural pedestrian crashes were fatal compared with 9.2% of urban pedestrian crashes. These are national figures, not a direct measurement of Georgia’s urban-rural distribution.
For Georgia-specific crash data, GDOT’s Crash Data Dashboard allows filtering by location and pedestrian-involved crash type.
Sidewalks and Road Design Can Matter
Roadway design can affect pedestrian safety, but the presence or absence of a sidewalk does not automatically establish legal liability. Relevant facts can include crosswalks, lighting, sightlines, traffic-control devices, roadway configuration, speed limits, maintenance conditions, and whether a government entity may have responsibility for the roadway.
Nationally, GHSA found that 62.2% of pedestrian fatalities in 2024 occurred at locations without a sidewalk. That figure is useful safety context, but it is not a Georgia-specific statistic.
What Causes Pedestrian Accidents in Georgia?
There is no single cause shared by every pedestrian collision. The cause of an individual crash must be established from the evidence. Potential contributing factors include:
- Failure to yield to a pedestrian with the right of way
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
- Turning movements at intersections
- Backing or reversing vehicles
- Poor visibility or inadequate lighting
- Roadway or traffic-control conditions
- Pedestrian conduct, including crossing outside a crosswalk or against a signal
National data shows that distraction and alcohol impairment remain important pedestrian-safety concerns. Those statistics should not be used to assume that either factor caused a particular Georgia crash without case-specific evidence.
How Georgia Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws Affect Injury Claims
Georgia’s pedestrian-right-of-way rules are important when determining whether a driver or pedestrian may have violated a traffic law. A traffic violation can be relevant evidence, but it does not automatically resolve every civil injury claim.
Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-91, drivers must stop and remain stopped to allow pedestrians to cross in specified crosswalk circumstances, subject to statutory exceptions.
Under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-92, pedestrians crossing outside applicable crosswalks generally must yield to vehicles unless they have already entered the roadway under safe conditions.
Georgia also imposes a separate duty of due care on drivers under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-93.
What If the Pedestrian Was Partly at Fault?
A pedestrian’s own conduct does not necessarily end an injury claim. Georgia’s apportionment statute requires the trier of fact to determine the plaintiff’s percentage of fault and reduce damages proportionally. The statute also bars recovery when the plaintiff is 50% or more responsible for the claimed injury or damages.
See O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 for Georgia’s current apportionment rules.
For example, a pedestrian who crossed outside a crosswalk may still have a claim if the evidence also shows that a driver was speeding, distracted, or otherwise negligent. The result depends on the evidence and the percentage of fault assigned.
How Serious Are Pedestrian Accident Injuries?
Pedestrians lack the protection provided by a vehicle’s structure, seat belts, and airbags. A collision can therefore cause severe or life-changing injuries.
- Traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Fractures and orthopedic injuries
- Internal injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Amputations
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Permanent disability
The severity and permanence of an injury can affect the damages claimed. Medical records, diagnostic imaging, treatment history, prognosis, and evidence of future care needs can all become important.
What Evidence Is Important After a Georgia Pedestrian Accident?
Police and Crash Reports
The crash report can document the responding officer’s observations, statements, diagrams, roadway conditions, and other information collected at the scene. It is important evidence, but it is not necessarily the final word on civil liability.
Witness Statements
Witnesses may have information about vehicle speed, traffic signals, pedestrian movement, driver behavior, visibility, or what happened immediately before impact. Their contact information should be preserved promptly.
Traffic and Surveillance Video
Traffic cameras, business surveillance systems, doorbell cameras, and nearby security systems may capture the collision or moments before it. Video can be overwritten, so prompt preservation can matter.
Photographs and Scene Documentation
Photographs can document injuries, vehicle damage, lighting, crosswalks, sidewalks, signs, sightlines, and physical conditions that may later change.
Medical Records
Medical records document the nature and severity of injuries and can establish treatment, prognosis, and future care needs.
Employment and Financial Records
Pay records, employer statements, tax documents, and other financial evidence can help establish lost income and qualifying loss of earning capacity.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Pedestrian Accident?
Depending on the facts and damages proven, a Georgia pedestrian injury claim may involve compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and qualifying loss of earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and other qualifying noneconomic losses
- Permanent impairment or disfigurement
- Property damage and other documented economic losses
Punitive damages are different from compensatory damages and are not available in every personal injury case. Their availability depends on the defendant’s conduct and the requirements of Georgia law.
How Long Do You Have to File a Pedestrian Injury Claim in Georgia?
Georgia generally requires personal-injury actions to be brought within two years after the right of action accrues under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33.
That general rule does not mean every pedestrian case has the same deadline. Claims involving minors, wrongful death, governmental defendants, or other special circumstances can involve different rules or additional requirements.
Government-related claims may also require advance notice within a shorter period. Because the requirements differ depending on the governmental defendant and the nature of the claim, those deadlines should be evaluated promptly rather than reduced to a generic six-month rule.
How Pedestrian Accident Statistics Can Help—But Not Decide—Your Claim
Statistics can provide context, identify safety patterns, and help explain why certain road conditions or behaviors deserve attention. They do not prove that a particular driver was negligent or that a particular pedestrian was free from fault.
For an individual injury claim, stronger evidence usually comes from the specific collision: what the driver did, what the pedestrian did, what traffic signals showed, what witnesses saw, what video captured, what the physical evidence indicates, and what medical records establish.
Injured in a Georgia Pedestrian Accident? We Can Help
If you were injured while walking, the statistics are only the starting point. Your case requires a careful review of the collision, available evidence, injuries, losses, and potentially responsible parties.
Learn more about Kevin A. Adamson, P.C. or contact the firm for a consultation about your potential injury claim.
FAQs
How many pedestrian deaths were there in Georgia in 2025?
GHSA’s July 2026 report lists 259 pedestrian fatalities for Georgia in 2025 on a preliminary, adjusted basis. That was 12.8% lower than Georgia’s 297 pedestrian fatalities in 2024.
Are pedestrian accidents increasing or decreasing in Georgia?
The latest GHSA preliminary data shows a decline in Georgia pedestrian fatalities from 335 in 2022 to 311 in 2023, 297 in 2024, and 259 in 2025. Fatality counts do not necessarily represent the number of nonfatal pedestrian injuries.
What time of day are pedestrian crashes most dangerous?
National GHSA data shows that 76.5% of pedestrian fatalities with known lighting conditions occurred after dark in 2024. That is national data, not a Georgia-specific percentage.
Does a pedestrian automatically lose a claim if they were jaywalking?
No. A pedestrian’s conduct can affect fault and the amount recoverable, but it does not automatically eliminate a claim in every case. Georgia’s apportionment rules can reduce or bar recovery depending on the percentage of fault assigned.
What evidence should I preserve after a pedestrian accident?
Preserve the crash report, photographs, medical records, witness information, scene evidence, and information about potentially available traffic or surveillance video. Evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes.
How long do I have to file a pedestrian accident lawsuit in Georgia?
Georgia generally provides two years for personal-injury actions under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, but special rules can apply depending on the claimant, defendant, and circumstances.
Can I recover compensation if the driver was not ticketed?
Potentially. A traffic citation is not the only way to establish civil liability. A personal injury claim can rely on other evidence showing negligence and causation.
Legal note: This article provides general information about Georgia pedestrian accidents and injury claims and is not legal advice. Liability, deadlines, damages, and available claims depend on the facts of the individual case.
