If you were asked to think of the place where most pedestrian fatalities occur, what would it look like? Are you picturing the busiest intersection you can think of during rush hour where the highest number of pedestrians cross the street?

That may be the most dangerous intersection you can think of, but according to a recent study released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) the number of pedestrian fatalities are occurring more in urban areas, on arterial roads at non-intersections in the dark.

The IIHS study reported 5,987 pedestrian fatalities in 2016, which is a 46 percent increase since 2009, the first year of their study. This number does not show any sign of decreasing as the Governors Highway Safety Association released their 2017 estimate of pedestrian fatalities at just under 6,000, bringing deaths to a level not seen in 25 years.

A lack of safe crosswalks on high-speed, high-capacity roads has led to pedestrians taking risks when crossing the street and that has led to the increase in pedestrian fatalities. The IIHS study suggests installing more pedestrian activated crossing systems for people to use on these busier roads.