In Ann Arbor:
- Serious & Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Exceed Previous High from 2014
- 2 Serious Injury Crashes on East Medical Center Drive
- 3 Serious Injury Bicycle Crashes, No Fatalities
- 59% of serious and fatal pedestrian crashes happened on multilane roads
Pedestrians on streets in Ann Arbor sustained more serious injuries(1) and fatalities from traffic crashes last year than in any year on record, according to traffic crash data from 2025 released recently by Michigan Traffic Crash Facts. Records from their database include crash reports from 2004 onwards and show serious and fatal pedestrian crashes in Ann Arbor increasing since 2020 and reaching heretofore unseen levels in 2025.
Within the city limits of Ann Arbor, Michigan Traffic Crash Facts reports 15 serious injury crashes and 2 fatal crashes involving pedestrians in 2025. Both fatal crashes and 13 of the serious injury crashes occurred on Ann Arbor city streets. Two additional serious injury pedestrian crashes happened on E. Medical Center Dr. on The University of Michigan’s campus.
Michigan Traffic Crash Facts also reported 3 serious injury crashes involving cyclists (the same as in 2024), and 1 serious injury crash involving the rider of an electric scooter.
Of these 21 serious and fatal crashes involving cyclists, pedestrians, and scooters
- 15 crashes (71%) occurred when drivers should have stopped for people in crosswalks
- 13 crashes (62%), including both fatalities, happened on multilane roads with more than one travel lane in the same direction
- Only 7% of Ann Arbor streets are multilane roads
- 6 crashes (29%), including one fatality, happened on MDOT trunk lines
- Only 2.6% of Ann Arbor streets are MDOT trunk lines
The number of serious and fatal pedestrian traffic crashes on the streets of Ann Arbor (excluding the freeway ring) from 2004 to 2025. Data source: www.michigantrafficcrashfacts.org (2)
The number of serious and fatal bicycle traffic crashes on the streets of Ann Arbor (excluding the freeway ring) from 2004 to 2025. Data source: www.michigantrafficcrashfacts.org (3).
Recommendations for Safe Streets with Fewer Serious and Fatal Crashes
Reconfigure streets with safer designs
To achieve the Vision Zero goal of zero serious injuries and fatalities from traffic crashes, Ann Arbor needs street designs that eliminate double threat crossings, reduce crossing distances, and make traffic slower, smoother, and calmer.
The Ann Arbor Roadway Rightsizing (A2R2) initiative will propose reconfigurations for many multilane roads in Ann Arbor so that they have fewer lanes. Pedestrians crossing these reconfigured roads will no longer face double threat crossings (where traffic in one lane stops, thereby blocking adjacent drivers from clearly seeing the pedestrian). Drivers in slower traffic are more likely to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Shorter crossing distances mean that pedestrians are in the line of oncoming vehicle traffic for less time. Reach out to the project team at the A2R2 Engage page and share your support for reducing serious and fatal crashes by reconfiguring Ann Arbor’s multilane streets. You can also attend a public open house on A2R2 at the DDA offices in Kerrytown Market on October 22, 5:30-7:30PM.
The Safe Streets For All project (SS4A) will install high visibility crosswalks, tightened curb radii, in-road delineators and hardened centerlines to calm traffic and discourage speeding. Reach out to the project team at the SS4A Engage page and share your support for this traffic calming and speed management. (In person public engagement is TBD).
Take Control From MDOT
In 2024, Ann Arbor studied the process for transferring MDOT trunk lines to city control, and negotiations are ongoing. Write to City Council and tell them that 5 serious injuries and 1 fatality for people crossing MDOT trunk lines is 6 crashes too many. Demand an update on the progress of negotiations for the trunk line transfer of MDOT roads so we can take control and remake them to reflect Ann Arbor’s values.
____________________________________________________________________________
About Crashes In Ann Arbor
Crashes In Ann Arbor collects and shares information about serious and fatal crashes involving vulnerable roadway users like pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders. You can find more details in the Crash List. Content of crashesinannarbor.org is subject to copyright protection and may be reproduced only with attribution.
End Notes:
(1) Serious injury crashes are those judged to be “Suspected Serious Injury” or “A” level by the responding agency according to their crash report. Crash reports are generated according to the Michigan State Police UD-10 Crash Report Instruction Manual, which defines an A level crash as:
- Suspected Serious Injury (A) – A suspected serious injury is any injury other than fatal which results in one or more of the following:
- Severe laceration resulting in exposure of underlying tissues/muscle/organs or resulting in significant loss of blood.
- Broken or distorted extremity (arm or leg).
- Crush injuries.
- Suspected skull, chest, or abdominal injury other than bruises or minor lacerations.
- Significant burns (second and third degree burns over 10% or more of the body).
- Unconsciousness when taken from the crash scene.
- Paralysis
(2) The query of the Michigan Traffic Crash Facts system that generated the 2004-2025 values for the pedestrian chart is:
Crashes for the Years 2025 and 2024 and 2023 and 2022 and 2021 and 2020 and 2019 and 2018 and 2017 and 2016 and 2015 and 2014 and 2013 and 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009 and 2008 and 2007 and 2006 and 2005 and 2004 for City or Township (Washtenaw County: Univ. of Mich. Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County: Ann Arbor) filtered by Highway Class (Interstate Business Loop or Spur or US Business Route or Michigan Business Route or Connector or Service Drive or County Road, City Street, or Unknown or Uncoded & Errors) and Crash: Pedestrian (Pedestrian Involved) and Worst Injury in Crash (Fatal Injury (K) or Suspected Serious Injury (A))
(3) The query of the Michigan Traffic Crash Facts system that generated the 2004-2024 values for the bicycle chart is:
Crashes for the Years 2025 and 2024 and 2023 and 2022 and 2021 and 2020 and 2019 and 2018 and 2017 and 2016 and 2015 and 2014 and 2013 and 2012 and 2011 and 2010 and 2009 and 2008 and 2007 and 2006 and 2005 and 2004 for City or Township (Washtenaw County: Univ. of Mich. Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County: Ann Arbor) filtered by Highway Class (Interstate Business Loop or Spur or US Business Route or Michigan Business Route or Connector or Service Drive or County Road, City Street, or Unknown or Uncoded & Errors) and Crash: Bicyclist (Bicyclist Involved) and Worst Injury in Crash (Suspected Serious Injury (A) or Fatal Injury (K))
(4) Details of the 21 serious and fatal pedestrian, bicycle and scooter crashes, including the UD-10 crash reports, are available at the links below: