Dwayne Haskins’ death highlights troubling surge in pedestrians killed by cars

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Former first round draft pick Dwayne Haskins was trying to cross an interstate by foot in Broward County, Florida, on Saturday morning when he was struck by a dump truck and killed. 

Tributes to the 24-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback have poured in from former and current teammates and coaches, but his death highlights an alarming surge in pedestrian deaths in recent years. 

The first six months of 2021 saw a 17% increase in pedestrians killed in collisions with vehicles nationwide over the same time period in 2020, according to a Governors Highway Safety Association report released this week. 

The surge was even more pronounced in Florida, which saw a 31% increase with 444 pedestrians killed by vehicles in the first half of last year. 

Dwayne Haskins #3 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half of an NFL preseason game at Bank of America Stadium on August 27, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Photo by Chris Keane/Getty Images)

It's a trend that has been getting worse for years, as pedestrian deaths jumped 46% from 4,457 in 2011 to 6,516 deaths in 2020 nationwide. 

DWAYNE HASKINS' INSTAGRAM FLOODED WITH SYMPATHIES FROM NFL STARS

Pedestrian deaths account for about 17% of all traffic fatalities, which have been on the rise as a whole. 

Overall, 31,720 people died in car crashes in the first nine months of 2021, a 12% increase over 2020 and the most in the first nine months of any year since 2006, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

The NHTSA's Office of Behavioral Safety Research wrote in a report last year that driving patterns have "changed