In New York, Connecticut, and many other parts of the country, travelling by foot has gotten more dangerous. A recent analysis from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that pedestrian fatalities in car crashes rose by 4.2% between 2009 and 2010. Both New York and Connecticut saw increases in motor vehicle crash fatalities among pedestrians and vehicle occupants. The news in New Jersey was better: fatalities dropped by 4.8%.

While experts remain unsure why pedestrian fatalities have increased, two theories are surfacing: distracted walking and arterial roads. In its yearly analyses of the region’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians, TSTC has regularly found that the region’s arterial roads have higher shares of pedestrian fatalities. Improved roadway design has been shown to significantly help calm traffic, making streets safer for all.

The news isn’t all bad, though. Overall fatalities in motor vehicle crashes continue to decline in the United States—they’re at their lowest level since 1949, and have decreased 2.9% since 2009. In addition, the agency reports that the “fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fell to a historic low of 1.1.”

For a more fine-tuned analysis of the motor vehicle fatalities in the tri-state region, stay tuned for TSTC’s Most Dangerous Roads report.