Motor-vehicle-related deaths involving intoxicated pedestrians--United States, 1982-1992.

Pedestrians account for 14% of all motor-vehicle-related deaths and approximately 3% of all motor-vehicle-related injuries in the United States. In 1992, a total of 5546 pedestrians were killed as a result of motor-vehicle crashes, and 96,000 suffered nonfatal injuries. Because of the effects of alcohol on attention, perception, vision, judgment, and motor control, intoxicated pedestrians are at increased risk for unintentional injury. Although alcohol consumption by pedestrians is an important contributing factor to motor-vehicle crashes in which pedestrians are injured, characteristics of intoxicated pedestrians who are killed as a result of such crashes have not been well defined. This report uses data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting System for 1982-1992 to characterize intoxicated pedestrians aged > 14 years who were killed as a result of motor-vehicle-related crashes.