A National Study on the Comparative Burden of Pedestrian Injuries from Falls Relative to Pedestrian Injuries from Motor Vehicle Collisions

Abstract

Pedestrian injuries from falls are an understudied cause of morbidity. Here, we compare the burden of pedestrian injuries from falls occurring on streets and sidewalks with that from motor vehicle collisions. Data on injurious falls on streets and sidewalks, and pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions, to which Emergency Medical Services responded, along with pedestrian and incident characteristics, were identified in the 2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System database. In total, 118,520 injurious pedestrian falls and 33,915 pedestrians-motor vehicle collisions were identified, with 89% of the incidents occurring in urban areas. Thirty-two percent of pedestrians struck by motor vehicles were coded as Emergent or Critical by Emergency Medical Services, while 19% of pedestrians injured by falls were similarly coded. However, the number of pedestrians whose acuity was coded as Emergent or Critical was 2.1 times as high for injurious falls as compared with pedestrians-motor vehicle collisions. This ratio was 3.9 for individuals 50 years and older and 6.1 for those 65 years and older. In conclusion, there has been substantial and appropriate policy attention given to preventing pedestrian injuries from motor vehicles, but disproportionately little to pedestrian falls. However, the population burden of injurious pedestrian falls is significantly greater and justifies an increased focus on outdoor falls prevention, in addition to urban design, policy, and built environment interventions to reduce injurious falls on streets and sidewalks, than currently exists across the USA.

Keywords: Emergency Medical Services; Falls; Geriatrics; Pedestrian injury; Urban design.

Fig. 1

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) patients representing pedestrian injuries from falls and from motor vehicle collisions, weekends compared with weekdays. Number of EMS patients for pedestrian fall injuries (dotted line) and pedestrian-motor vehicle collision injuries (solid line)

Fig. 2

Pedestrian injuries from motor vehicle collisions as percentage of total pedestrian injuries from falls and from motor vehicle collisions, weekends compared with weekdays