Reply U.S. pedestrian deaths rose 4.8 percent last year, the Governors Highway Safety Association found. Bad driver behavior is likely to blame. (Shutterstock) ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA — Speeding and drunken and distracted driving are the likely culprits behind a spike in pedestrian deaths recorded in several U.S. states last year, according to new data released Thursday. In fact, bad driver behavior during the coronavirus pandemic likely contributed to the largest-ever nationwide increase in pedestrian deaths recorded in a single year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association's 2...