Transportation For America recently released its 2011 "Dangerous by Design" report on the issue of pedestrian safety. The report, which breaks down accident data according to city and state, ranked Phoenix as the 8th most dangerous city for pedestrians in the U.S.

According to the study, which relied upon accident data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Phoenix metro area averages 2.3 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people per year, measured during the 2000-2009 time period. The Arizona overall rate is 2.71 fatalities per 100,000 people, which is much higher than the national average of 1.26 fatalities per 100,000 people per year.

Nationally, the report indicated that 688,000 pedestrians were injured and over 47.700 were killed in accidents from 2000-2009. This means that there is a pedestrian accident nearly every seven minutes.

But why are these accidents still happening? The report considered a wide range of potential accident causes. One of the major reasons cited by researchers concerns the issue of road design. Many of the crashes happened on high-traffic roadways, built for motor-vehicle traffic, but ill-equipped to handle pedestrians or bicyclists.

However, even with the focus on problematic road design, reducing accidents in high-volume accident intersections will only solve a small part of the problem. If more motorists and pedestrians increase their awareness of one another, roads will become safer for all users.

To improve safety, the organization would like to see more safety requirements in federal funding bills. By making safety a high priority during the planning phases, it is hoped that the number of serious injuries and fatalities will substantially decrease.

Until these changes are made, there are steps that pedestrians can take to ensure their safety. Cross only in designated crosswalks. Before you cross, make sure that vehicles nearby can see you. Even though motorists may have a red light, they may not see you. Make eye contact with drivers that may be turning into your lane to alert them that you will be crossing.