Rising Pedestrian Fatalities in the U.S.
- In 2022, an estimated 7,508 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes across the United States, marking the highest number since 1981.
- Between 2010 and 2021, pedestrian deaths increased by 77%, outpacing the 25% increase in all other traffic fatalities during the same period.
- Contributing factors include the prevalence of larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks, higher driving speeds, and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.
The widespread presence of drive-thrus in urban areas contributes to increasingly hazardous conditions for pedestrians, exacerbating a nationwide roadway safety crisis.
The combination of car-centric infrastructure, larger and heavier vehicles, and the absence of adequate pedestrian protections calls for a serious reevaluation of urban planning and transportation policies to safeguard the most vulnerable road users.
Recent Drive-Thru Crashes (2024–2025)
In the last year alone, multiple devastating drive-thru crashes across North America have reignited concerns about vehicle safety in these fast-paced environments. These are just some of them:
- Oswego, Illinois (August 2025): Two-year-old killed and more than a dozen people injured after a car slammed into a Portillo’s restaurant. The vehicle tore through the front entrance, shattering glass and throwing debris across the dining area.
- Henderson, Nevada (April 2025): Five Chick-fil-A employees were hospitalized after a 79-year-old driver suffered a medical episode and crashed into the restaurant’s drive-thru area.
- Dearborn Heights, Michigan (2025): A vehicle in a Tim Hortons drive-thru accidentally accelerated into a nearby home, narrowly missing a family inside. Police said the elderly driver confused the brake with the accelerator.
- Atlanta, Georgia (2025): A driver suffered a medical emergency while navigating a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Buckhead, striking another car before crashing through the service door and rupturing a gas line.
- Lincoln, Nebraska (May 2025): A van crashed directly into the drive-thru window of a fast-food restaurant, leaving shattered glass and heavy structural damage.
- Denver, Colorado (August 2024): A pedestrian was fatally struck in a hit-and-run at a Wendy’s drive-thru. The victim died at a nearby hospital, and the driver fled the scene.
- Aurora, Colorado (October 2024): A 50-year-old man collapsed in the drive-thru entrance of Taco Mex. He was run over by a Cadillac Escalade and later died from his injuries.
- Monroe, Washington (November 2024): An 82-year-old woman was injured after being hit by a vehicle that was backing up in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru.
- North Vancouver, Canada (March 2024): A Subaru Crosstrek suddenly accelerated at an A&W drive-thru, crashing into the restaurant’s exterior wall and splashing boiling oil from nearby fryers onto an employee. The worker suffered severe burns, and the driver was later fined $1,500, as he was an 80 year old elder.
When Fast Food Slows the City Down
Drive-thrus were once the symbol of efficiency — a quick meal on the go, no need to park, no need to step out. But with 200,000 of them scattered across the country and over 6 billion visits per year, some cities are starting to ask: at what cost? Long lines of idling cars, traffic spilling onto busy streets, and a growing number of pedestrian accidents are painting a new picture — one where convenience may be colliding with urban safety, walkability, and even public health.
A Design Flaw Hiding in Plain Sight
Think about how a drive-thru works: cars need a way in and a way out — that means two separate cuts in the sidewalk, called curb cuts. Now imagine this: you’re walking down the street, and suddenly there’s a driveway where a car might pull in or out at any moment. That’s what happens every few feet near drive-thrus.
These access points create danger zones. Drivers are often focused on other cars, not on the person walking or biking directly in front of them. This isn’t just theory — it’s been proven. A 1998 study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation found that the more driveways and access points a road had, the more crashes occurred.
And the danger is real. In November 2024, an 82-year-old woman was hit by a car backing up in a Chick-fil-A drive-thru in Monroe. She was lucky to survive. Others might not be.
Cities Push Back: Drive-Thru Bans Across the U.S.
Grabbing fries without leaving your car is no longer guaranteed. Cities like Minneapolis, Creve Coeur (MO), Long Beach (CA), and Fair Haven (NJ) have banned the construction of new drive-thrus. The reasons? Fewer emissions, less litter, safer streets, and more walkable neighborhoods. In Minneapolis, the move aligns with their 2040 climate action plan aiming to slash emissions by 80% by 2050.
But some city planners take it even further: they argue that banning drive-thrus could improve public health. That’s what happened in South L.A., where a 2008 ordinance targeted the fast-food density in a community battling obesity. Critics, however, say the results didn’t match the intentions — obesity rates continued to rise even after the ban.
Backsides of TOO many Drive Thrus
When drive-thrus become overly concentrated in a community, the health and environmental impacts intensify. Idling vehicles contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions and poor air quality, while the constant traffic flow increases noise and litter in surrounding areas. These effects are especially pronounced in low-income neighborhoods, where fast food outlets are often overrepresented. In 2008, South Los Angeles took action by prohibiting the opening or expansion of stand-alone fast-food restaurants and drive-thru windows—specifically citing the need to address rising obesity rates and promote a healthier food environment.