This category includes deaths to pedestrians due to collision with a vehicle of some kind.

See also Map 25 Pedal cyclist hit by vehicle, and Map 22 Motor vehicle accidents, which covers the deaths of the occupants of motor vehicles and motorcyclists.

The highest SMRs are found in urban areas, while rural south west England has the lowest rates. Contrast this with Map 22, which covers the deaths of those who are drivers or passengers: on that map, the highest SMRs are found in rural areas.

The age distribution for this cause of death is unusual in that for both men and women there are two peaks – in the teenage years/ early 20s and later in the 70s and 80s (see age–sex bar chart). The peak in the younger age group is likely to reflect activity patterns – going out a lot and perhaps also not observing the Green Cross Code of their childhood. The more children are sheltered from cars when they are young, the less experience they will have of dealing with them; there is a tendency to blame victims of the road for their early deaths. The peak for the older age groups indicates the vulnerability of older people – they can generally move less quickly and their bodies are more fragile and less likely to heal.

For each mile travelled there are nearly 30 times more child pedestrian deaths than there are deaths to child car occupants (Sonkin et al, 2006). The children who are more likely to be pedestrians are those from lower-income families who are less likely to have a car. Strategies to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths include education, 20mph speed limits and speed bumps.

Philosopher Roland Barthes died from this cause.

Sonkin, B., Edwards, P., Roberts, I. and Green, J. (2006) ‘Walking, cycling and transport safety: an analysis of child road deaths’, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, no 99, pp 402-5.