How dangerous are Texas roads for pedestrians?

On Behalf of | Oct 26, 2020 | Pedestrian accidents

Data compiled as part of the Smart Growth America’s (SGA) 2019 Dangerous by Design initiative shows that U.S. motorists struck and killed 49,340 pedestrians between 2008 and 2017. These staggering statistics led researchers to delve a bit deeper into the data to determine who’s most apt to become involved in such a collision. 

SGA data shows that there’s been a steady increase in pedestrian fatalities in recent years. Those same statistics show that 2016 and 2017 were particularly deadly. At least 6,080 pedestrians lost their lives in the U.S. in 2016. Another 5,977 died in similar incidents in 2017. The country’s pedestrian death rate from 2016-2017 hadn’t previously been as high since 1990.

Those same statistics also show that the overall percentage of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. increased by 35.4% between 2008 and 2017. There was less than a 1% increase in pedestrians during that time. The number of car-on-car traffic accidents for those years decreased by 6.1% even though motorists increased how far they traveled by 8.1% during that same period.

The SGA maintains a Pedestrian Danger Index (PDI) that keeps track of how unsafe it can be for pedestrians to walk in certain areas. The organization’s 2019 data shows that Texas is the eighth most dangerous state for pedestrians in the country. An estimated 4,831 pedestrians, or 1.79 per 100,000 residents, died between 2008 and 2017 in the Lone Star State. The SGA assigned Texas a 111.9 PDI score as a result. 

Interestingly, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area was the only region that made it on the top 20 most dangerous cities for pedestrians in the U.S. list. They saw 140 pedestrian deaths between 2008 and 2017, which equates to 1.69 people per 100,000 residents. That Texas region ranks number 16 among the top 20 cities in the U.S. and has a PDI of 140.8. 

Cars and pedestrians don’t mesh well. Various factors, including poor visibility or roadway design and driver intoxication or inattentiveness, give way to individuals on foot being prime targets for crashes. A pedestrian & bicycle accident attorney can advocate for you or a deceased loved one. Your Dallas lawyer can help you hold any negligent party accountable for their actions and help you recover the maximum compensation you deserve in your Texas case.