Dallas Beating Pedestrian Unsafety Records: Some Stats To Ponder
24 January, 2025
In Dallas, pedestrian safety has become an increasing concern over the past few years. In 2023 alone, it recorded a significantly higher number of pedestrian-involved crashes compared to similar-sized cities.
As a result, addressing pedestrian safety has become a critical focus for the city. This article examines the current state of pedestrian safety in Dallas, lists Dallas’ high-crash intersections, analyzes key causes of accidents, and explores ongoing efforts by city authorities to improve the situation.
The Current State of Sidewalks in Dallas
With a 2020 census population of 1,304,379, Dallas is the ninth-most populous city in the U.S., which translates to a demand for extensive mobility infrastructure.
According to Walk Score, Dallas has a Walk Score of 46, a Transit Score of 39, and a Bike Score of 49. These numbers mean that the city is highly car-dependent, with significant distances to cover to run daily errands but few public transportation options and minimal bike infrastructure.
Source: Walk Score
As of 2021, as stated in the 2021 Dallas Sidewalk Master Plan Report, there were 4,536 miles of existing sidewalks throughout the city. However, many of these sidewalks were reported as damaged or in poor or non-passable condition. The report also notes that there were 2,086 miles of missing sidewalks in Dallas in 2021, additionally compromising Dallas’ walkability.
At the same time, this report highlights that a survey conducted for the Dallas Strategic Mobility Plan (DSMP), Connect Dallas, identified that over 72% of respondents would like to travel by foot more in Dallas, however, the major reason preventing people from walking in the city was that the sidewalks were not connected.
Another survey was carried out to collect more feedback about the quality, usage, and desired usage of Dallas sidewalks. The key takeaways include:
- The state of the sidewalks in Dallas was identified as “poor” or “fair.”
- 48% of respondents use sidewalks on a daily basis.
- Obstacles to Dallas’ walkability include sidewalks in disrepair (80%) and missing sidewalks (72%).
Sidewalk Safety in Dallas: Facts & Figures
Dallas has one of the highest traffic fatality rates among the 15 most populous cities in the U.S., with pedestrians involved in more than a third of all traffic accidents.
According to Vision Zero Dallas, 197 crashes in Dallas in 2024 resulted in fatalities, including 70 pedestrian deaths. In addition, 153 pedestrians were reported to be severely injured.
Cyclists are also frequently involved in fatal road accidents in Dallas. For example, in 2023, combined pedestrian and pedalcyclist fatalities reached 139.
Notably, the majority of fatal incidents, as well as those resulting in severe injuries to pedestrians, occurred in certain segments of the city’s mobility infrastructure, as can be seen on this map:
Source: Vision Zero Action Plan
While we can assume that pedestrian-involved accidents are typical of any densely inhabited metropolitan area and Dallas is just one of them, official statistics prove that this is not the case.
Let’s compare the number of pedestrian-involved crashes in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio in 2023 (Austin and San Antonio were selected due to their similar population sizes).
In 2023, the total numbers of pedestrian-involved crashes in Austin and San Antonio were 371 and 577, respectively, while in Dallas, the figure reached 831.
Likewise, Dallas had more pedestrian-involved fatal crashes than the two other same-sized cities in 2023 — 127 compared to 69 in Austin and 82 in San Antonio.
Dallas Intersections as High-Risk Zones
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2023, the total number of crashes in the Dallas District reached 88,383, 7,499 or 8.5% of which were intersection-related.
In 2023, 146 intersection-related crashes in Dallas resulted in fatal injuries.
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Top 20 Dangerous Intersections in Dallas
The latest available statistics on accidents at specific Dallas intersections cover the years 2015-2019. While more recent data would bring more value to our analysis, this dataset still remains helpful for identifying Dallas high-crash intersections.
- IH0635 — Skillman St (256)
- IH0635 — Midway Road (183)
- SL0012 — SS0348 (163)
- IH0030 — SL0012 (152)
- Belt Line Rd — Dallas Parkway (137)
- IH0035E — SL0012 (130)
- IH0635 — Greenville Ave (130)
- US0175 — SL0012 (121)
- SL0012 — Military Parkway (121)
- IH0635 — Hillcrest Road (109)
- Audelia Rd — Whitehurst Drive (105)
- IH0635 — Dallas Parkway (103)
- Commerce St — S Lamar St (100)
- Pine St — S 2ND Ave (97)
- N Hampton Rd — W Jefferson Boulevard (91)
- IH0635 — Webb Chapel Road (88)
- IH0635 — Abrams Road (87)
- US0075 — Royal Lane (86)
- US0075 — Walnut Hill Lane (83)
- SL0012 — Samuell Boulevard (80)
Analysis of Common Issues
In Dallas, pedestrian safety faces challenges that stem both from behavioral factors and infrastructural gaps. This section examines the most common issues contributing to pedestrian safety risks.
Risky behaviors
In many cases, road accidents are caused by behavioral factors, including:
- Speeding. Exceeding the speed limit reduces drivers’ ability to properly react to road conditions. This often results in losing control on curves or failing to stop in time to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Such behavior frequently leads to road accidents. In 2023, there were 4,254 speed-related crashes in the Dallas District, including 187 fatal crashes.
- Driving under the influence (DUI). Driving under the influence severely compromises reaction times and decision-making abilities, endangering all road users. Impaired driving remains a significant safety concern in the Dallas District. In 2023, alcohol-impaired driving was responsible for 1,044 crashes, while drug-related driving accounted for 258 crashes, which led to 144 and 142 deaths, respectively.
- Distracted driving. Distractions like using a phone, eating, changing the radio or music settings, adjusting the air conditioning or heating, etc., delay reaction times and increase the likelihood of accidents. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes in the Dallas District. In 2023, 2,333 crashes were attributed to drivers being distracted, 50 of which were fatal.
- Pedestrian behavior. Pedestrians failing to yield the right of way or cross safely are major contributors to traffic accidents. According to Vision Zero Dallas, in 2023, failing to yield the right of way was identified as the primary factor in fatal and severe injury pedestrian-involved crashes.
Infrastructure gaps
In Dallas, pedestrian safety is also compromised by certain infrastructure gaps, such as missing or bad sidewalks. As stated in the 2021 Dallas Sidewalk Master Plan Report, in 2021, there were 2,086 miles of missing sidewalks in Dallas, which was a significant gap compared to the 4,536 miles of existing sidewalks.
Moreover, many of the existing sidewalks were reported as damaged or in poor, non-passable condition. Consequently, pedestrians are often forced to walk in the street, increasing the risk of accidents.
As noted in the 2022 Audit of Pedestrian Safety Report, Dallas also faces a lack of properly maintained pedestrian crossings. According to the report, as of May 2022, the city did not meet its crosswalk maintenance schedule, with a backlog of 1,500 crosswalks needing thermoplastic marking refreshment.
The report also emphasizes that while the Dallas Department of Transportation (DDOT) maintenance cycle for crosswalk thermoplastic marking refreshment is 830 crosswalks per year, in fiscal year 2021, only 70 crosswalks (less than 10% of the annual goal) were funded for maintenance.
Thermoplastic marking tape loses reflectivity over time, resulting in less visibility and driver awareness of pedestrian crossings, further disrupting Dallas pedestrian safety.
What's Next?
Due to the increasing number of pedestrian-related accidents, Dallas authorities have taken several steps to improve pedestrian safety throughout the city.
One of the key initiatives is Vision Zero Dallas, which aims to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and reduce severe injuries by 50% by 2030. This plan focuses on making roads safer through a combination of engineering upgrades, education, stricter enforcement, and continuous evaluation.
In addition, Dallas has secured funding for several safety projects. For example, the Maple Avenue Safety Project involves reconfiguring Maple Avenue, which was identified as a priority in the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the draft Dallas Bike Plan, from four lanes to three, adding bike lanes, and improving pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and traffic signals.
Also, the city of Dallas and partner agency Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) have recently been awarded a $9.24 million federal grant to carry out pedestrian improvements along five corridors on the High Injury Network. The project will help implement the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan and reduce pedestrian fatalities and severe injuries.