Pedestrian traffic fatalitiesObjects launched into Earth orbit per year
The number of objects launched into Earth orbit per year and US pedestrian traffic fatalities have, between 2015 and 2022, risen together at a correlation of 0.929. As humanity has sent more material into low Earth orbit, more Americans have been struck on foot. The two trends are not connected. Both describe failures of the same era to protect the softest parts of the environment.
Orbital launches grew from around 90 in 2015 to over 200 by 2022, driven by SpaceX and Starlink. US pedestrian fatalities rose from 5,500 to over 7,500 in the same window, driven by the SUV-heavy fleet and enforcement collapse. Both trends share no mechanism but reflect the same decade's inability to balance its scaling with its protective infrastructure: the sky got more crowded and more of a debris risk while the sidewalk got more dangerous. The rocket and the crosswalk are not in conversation.
Eight years of two lines rising together can describe one decade's skill at scale and failure at safety. The satellite and the pedestrian are not related. Both were affected anyway.
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Want to learn more about why correlations like “Pedestrian traffic fatalities” vs “Objects launched into Earth orbit per year” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
