More pedestrians were struck and killed by drivers last year than at any year since 1988, a continuation of a worrisome national trend that stretches back more than a decade and traces to the increased use of smartphones by all road users and the boom in larger sport utility vehicle sales.

That’s according to a report released Thursday by the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association.

The report comes as Portland saw 49 people die in traffic crashes last year, including 16 pedestrians, the deadliest year since 1997.

More than 6,590 people walking were killed by people operating vehicles on U.S. roads and highways, according to the nonprofit’s estimates. The group based the figure on raw data from the first half of 2019 and extrapolates a final estimate based on historical trends.

The report’s authors called the increases “alarming” and noted that the overall percentage of people killed in traffic crashes who were walking instead of driving or in a motor vehicle continues to rise, hitting 17% last year.

“Each year, thousands of additional people are dying in pedestrian crashes compared to a decade ago,” Richard Retting, the report’s author, said in a statement. “Following 30 years of declining pedestrian fatalities, there has been a complete reversal of progress. Pedestrians are at an inherent disadvantage in collisions, and we must continue to take a broad approach to pedestrian safety.”

Oregon saw a 22% increase from 2018 to 2019 in pedestrian fatalities (an estimated 7 additional people died last year), the 12th largest percent increase during that period. Oregon’s pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 people is the 17th highest in the country.

The bulk of pedestrian deaths nationally, 59%, occurred on major arterials — in the Portland region, that’s streets like 82nd Avenue, Tualatin Valley Highway or McLoughlin Boulevard.

But the report found “a surprisingly large number” of deaths occurred on freeways, some 16%. Some of those deaths could be attributed to motorists struck while standing next to their vehicles.

Other trends highlighted in the report:

- More pedestrians are dying in the dark; an estimated 76% of the fatalities occurred at night or in early morning darkness. The number of nighttime deaths spiked by 67% from 2009 to 2018, according to the report. The report’s authors speculated that warmer temperatures prompt people to be out later and consume more alcohol, which could play a factor.

- Nearly three-quarters of pedestrian fatalities occurred outside of an intersection.

- Alcohol remains a consistent theme in traffic deaths. One-third of pedestrians aged 16 or older who died had blood alcohol contents at .08 or greater. Some 16% of drivers involved in fatal crashes involving pedestrians had similar levels.

- While sedans were involved in the most fatalities last year (2,264), SUVs saw the largest increase in fatalities (83%) during the past decade.

- Five states (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas) saw nearly half of all fatalities last year.

- The rise in deaths comes amid the ubiquitous use of smartphones. The devices “can be a significant source of both cognitive and visual distraction for all road users,” the report states.

Last week, the U.S. was the only country of 140 nations attending a global road safety conference in Stockholm that opted not to sign a declaration to curb traffic deaths.

“While the United States supports many of the objectives outlined in the declaration, we find it necessary to dissociate ourselves from certain paragraphs,” the government said in a statement, arguing that some of the declaration’s arguments “muddle our focus and detract attention from data-driven scientific policies and programs that have successfully reduced fatalities on roadways.”

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

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