Photo by specimenlife

Photo by specimenlife

According to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over half of the traffic fatalities in D.C. in 2010 were pedestrians, putting us far above the national average of 13 percent, reports the Post:

Kansas, which ranks 40th in population density in the United States, had the lowest percentage of pedestrians killed in car accidents, 3.4 percent.

The District, where 13 of the 24 people killed in 2010 traffic accidents were on foot, ranked highest by percentage. Among states, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii and California topped the list.

In Maryland, 101 of 493 traffic fatalities were pedestrians. In Virginia, 73 of the 740 who died were on foot.

An obvious caveat applies: we’re a densely urban jurisdiction relative to many of the states measured. A 2010 report by the Governors Highway Safety Association summed up where D.C. stands: “[T]he District of Columbia has a small pedestrian fatality total, but a large proportion of its traffic fatalities are pedestrians.”

Still, according to MPD, our percentage of pedestrian deaths is on the rise: in 2002 it stood at 18 percent, while in 2008 it rose to 38 percent. While some officials say that distracted driving—and walking—might be to blame, they say that more research is needed to better determine the causes.