Drunk Walking Leads to Pedestrians Fatalities

(AP) Drunk walking leads to pedestrians fatalities
By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
Drinking and walking can be as deadly as drinking and driving. New data on pedestrian fatalities show a third of the pedestrians killed in 2011 had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit for driving.

Among pedestrians aged 25- to 34-years-old who were killed, half were alcohol-impaired.

By comparison, 13 percent of drivers involved in crashes in which pedestrians were killed had blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx released the data Monday as he kicked off a new effort to reduce pedestrian deaths. There were 4,432 pedestrian fatalities in 2011, up 3 percent from the previous year.

Jonathan Adkins of the Governors Highway Safety Council said anti-drunk driving campaigns may be encouraging more people to walk home after a night of drinking.