Auto Insurance
Galveston, Beaumont and Dallas Are the Most Dangerous Texas Cities for Pedestrians
The U.S. isn’t known for its walkability, which can be a particular problem for pedestrians in a sprawling state like Texas, according to the latest ValuePenguin study.
We examined which Texas roads and cities are most dangerous for pedestrians. In addition to exploring our findings, stick around to learn how to navigate auto insurance claims involving pedestrian accidents.
Table of contents
- Key findings
- Texas pedestrian fatalities more likely to occur on federal/state roadways
- Roadways/cities/streets where Texas pedestrian fatalities most likely to occur
- Who’s most likely to be involved in pedestrian fatalities — and how they occur
- Auto insurance and pedestrian accidents: What to know
- Methodology
Key findings
- More than 1 in 3 (37.6%) pedestrian fatalities in Texas between 2016 and 2020 occurred on an interstate or U.S. highway, while another 28.8% happened on a state route or farm-to-market road. That means 2 in 3 (66.4%) occurred on a federal or state roadway rather than a local street or road. 9.9% of pedestrian fatalities in that period took place on Interstate 35 and Interstate 10 alone.
- More locally, there were 58 pedestrian deaths between 2016 and 2020 on Interstate 45 in Houston — accounting for 1.8% of fatalities during this period. There were 48 fatalities (1.5%) on Interstate 35 in Austin and 34 (1.1%) on Dallas’ Loop 12.
- San Antonio is home to four of the five most deadly local streets for pedestrians: San Pedro Avenue (15 fatalities between 2016 and 2020), Culebra Road (13), Old Highway 90 (nine) and Zarzamora Street (nine). Bellaire Boulevard in Houston also had nine fatalities.
- 27.6% of pedestrians killed in Texas between 2016 and 2020 tested positive for drugs and/or alcohol. Meanwhile, 7.0% of drivers who fatally struck pedestrians were formally ID’d as drunken drivers.
Texas pedestrian fatalities more likely to occur on federal/state roadways
Highways can be particularly deadly for pedestrians, and that’s especially true in Texas. More than one-third (37.6%) of pedestrian fatalities in Texas between 2016 and 2020 occurred on interstates and U.S. highways. Comparatively, 28.8% happened on a state route or farm-to-market road (a state highway or county road that connects rural areas to towns). This means 2 in 3 (66.4%) fatalities occurred on a federal or state roadway rather than a local street or road.
According to ValuePenguin auto insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar, there are a few reasons why pedestrians are more likely to be killed on a highway.
"Highways tend to carry large volumes of traffic at high speeds," she says. "They don’t have defined pedestrian walkways either, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road and putting them at much greater risk. Meanwhile, rural farm-to-market roads — which can be narrow, dusty, dark and, in many cases, without any lane markings — are very risky for pedestrians who may not be able to see oncoming vehicles."
Pedestrian fatalities in Texas by certain road types, 2016 to 2020
Road type | Fatalities | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Federal roadways | ||
| Interstates | 758 | 23.6% |
| U.S. highways | 451 | 14.0% |
| State roadways | ||
| State routes | 582 | 18.1% |
| Farm/ranch-to-market routes | 344 | 10.7% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data.
In fact, the top 10 Texas roads with the most fatalities between 2016 and 2020 were interstates and U.S. and state highways. To break that down more specifically, 9.9% of pedestrian fatalities in that period occurred on interstates 35 and 10 alone — making them the most dangerous in Texas.
Texas roads with the most pedestrian fatalities
Rank | Road | Accidents | % of accidents | Fatalities | % of fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-35 | 196 | 6.1% | 198 | 6.2% |
| 2 | I-10 | 120 | 3.8% | 120 | 3.7% |
| 3 | I-45 | 106 | 3.3% | 112 | 3.5% |
| 4 | I-20 | 72 | 2.3% | 74 | 2.3% |
| 5 | I-30 | 57 | 1.8% | 57 | 1.8% |
| 6 | I-69 | 35 | 1.1% | 36 | 1.1% |
| 7 | Loop 12 | 34 | 1.1% | 34 | 1.1% |
| 7 | I-635 | 32 | 1.0% | 34 | 1.1% |
| 9 | US-59 | 32 | 1.0% | 32 | 1.0% |
| 10 | US-287 | 31 | 1.0% | 31 | 1.0% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
Roadways/streets/cities where pedestrian fatalities in Texas most likely to occur
While the most fatalities occur on interstates 35 and 10, a look at fatalities by city paints a different picture. More specifically, 58 pedestrian deaths occurred on Interstate 45 in Houston — accounting for 1.8% of fatalities (the highest) between 2016 and 2020
Following that, there were 48 fatalities on Interstate 35 in Austin, accounting for 1.5% of pedestrian fatalities. In third place, 34 pedestrian fatalities occurred on Dallas’ Loop 12, making up 1.1% of fatalities.
25 roadways with the most pedestrian fatalities by city
Rank | City | Road | Fatalities | % of fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | I-45 | 58 | 1.8% |
| 2 | Austin | I-35 | 48 | 1.5% |
| 3 | Dallas | Loop 12 | 34 | 1.1% |
| 4 | Dallas | I-35 | 28 | 0.9% |
| 5 | San Antonio | I-410 | 24 | 0.7% |
| 6 | Dallas | I-635 | 20 | 0.6% |
| 7 | Houston | I-10 | 19 | 0.6% |
| 7 | Houston | I-610 | 19 | 0.6% |
| 9 | El Paso | I-10 | 18 | 0.6% |
| 9 | Fort Worth | I-35 | 18 | 0.6% |
| 9 | Harris County (no city reported) | FM-1960 | 18 | 0.6% |
| 9 | Harris County (no city reported) | SR-249 | 18 | 0.6% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
When it comes to local street deaths, San Antonio was particularly dangerous for pedestrians. In fact, four of the five most deadly local streets were in San Antonio. Of these, San Pedro Avenue ranked highest, with 15 pedestrian fatalities between 2016 and 2020. That’s followed by Culebra Road with 13 fatalities.
Meanwhile, Bellaire Boulevard in Houston had nine fatalities — tying with two San Antonio roads (Old Highway 90 and Zarzamora Street) as the third most dangerous local road. (See our methodology for why Zarzamora Street doesn’t have a "North" or "South" designation.)
Why were there so many fatalities in San Antonio? According to Sangameshwar, the city’s lack of pedestrian-friendly roads likely plays a role.
"I think a lot of this boils down to the fact that San Antonio isn’t a walkable city, and it needs more sidewalks for pedestrians," she says. "One 2021 report from Walk Score (which scores how pedestrian-friendly a city or neighborhood is) gave San Antonio a very low walkability score of 37 out of 100 — putting the city behind other Texas cities like Austin, El Paso and even Dallas, and far behind pedestrian-friendly cities New York City, Chicago and Portland, Ore."
Local streets with the most pedestrian fatalities
Rank | City | Street | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | San Pedro Avenue | 15 |
| 2 | San Antonio | Culebra Road | 13 |
| 3 | Houston | Bellaire Boulevard | 9 |
| 3 | San Antonio | Old Highway 90 | 9 |
| 3 | San Antonio | Zarzamora Street | 9 |
| 6 | Houston | Tidwell Road | 8 |
| 7 | El Paso | Dyer Street | 6 |
| 7 | Houston | Telephone Road | 6 |
| 9 | Houston | Bissonnet Street | 5 |
| 9 | Not applicable | Veterans Memorial Drive | 5 |
| 9 | San Antonio | Nacogdoches Road | 5 |
| 12 | Austin | Congress Avenue | 4 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
Meanwhile, among the largest municipalities in Texas, Galveston is the most dangerous. For every 10,000 residents, Galveston had 3.00 pedestrian fatalities from 2016 through 2020. Following that, Beaumont had 2.71 deaths per 10,000 residents, while Dallas had 2.20.
Texas cities and towns with the most pedestrian fatalities
Rank | City/town | Average population (2016-2020) | Total accidents with pedestrian harm | Accidents per 10,000 people (2016-2020) | Fatalities | Fatalities per 10,000 people (2016- 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galveston | 49,947 | 13 | 2.60 | 15 | 3.00 |
| 2 | Beaumont | 118,051 | 32 | 2.71 | 32 | 2.71 |
| 3 | Dallas | 1,313,364 | 286 | 2.18 | 289 | 2.20 |
| 4 | Port Arthur | 55,031 | 12 | 2.18 | 12 | 2.18 |
| 5 | Longview | 82,099 | 18 | 2.19 | 17 | 2.07 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data. Note: While we display the average population between 2016 and 2020, our list is limited to municipalities with at least 50,000 residents in 2020.
There’s some good news, though. Among the 70 municipalities with at least 50,000 residents in 2020, six had no pedestrian deaths during the five years: Atascocita, Cedar Park, Flower Mound, Frisco, Spring and Wylie.
Full rankings
Pedestrian fatalities in Texas cities and towns
Rank | City/town | Average population (2016-2020) | Total accidents with pedestrian harm | Accidents per 10,000 people (2016-2020) | Fatalities | Fatalities per 10,000 people (2016- 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galveston | 49,947 | 13 | 2.60 | 15 | 3.00 |
| 2 | Beaumont | 118,051 | 32 | 2.71 | 32 | 2.71 |
| 3 | Dallas | 1,313,364 | 286 | 2.18 | 289 | 2.20 |
| 4 | Port Arthur | 55,031 | 12 | 2.18 | 12 | 2.18 |
| 5 | Longview | 82,099 | 18 | 2.19 | 17 | 2.07 |
| 6 | Conroe | 81,038 | 16 | 1.97 | 16 | 1.97 |
| 7 | San Antonio | 1,484,944 | 273 | 1.84 | 273 | 1.84 |
| 8 | Odessa | 118,220 | 19 | 1.61 | 21 | 1.78 |
| 9 | Fort Worth | 854,693 | 148 | 1.73 | 149 | 1.74 |
| 10 | Corpus Christi | 323,916 | 55 | 1.70 | 56 | 1.73 |
| 11 | El Paso | 679,274 | 113 | 1.66 | 112 | 1.65 |
| 12 | Houston | 2,285,514 | 368 | 1.61 | 372 | 1.63 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data. Note: While we display the average population between 2016 and 2020, our list is limited to municipalities with at least 50,000 residents in 2020.
Who’s most likely to be involved in pedestrian fatalities — and how they occur
Pedestrian safety around roadways is a complex issue, but here’s one sobering reality: 27.6% of pedestrians killed in Texas tested positive for drugs or/and alcohol. And 7.0% of drivers who fatally struck pedestrians were formally ID’d as drunken drivers.
Impairment of pedestrian killed
Impairment type | Fatalities | % of fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Positive for alcohol | 396 | 12.2% |
| Positive for drugs | 313 | 9.7% |
| Positive for drugs and alcohol | 179 | 5.5% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
When it comes to the demographic groups most likely to be involved, pedestrian fatalities in Texas disproportionately affect men, who make up 72.5% of pedestrians killed. By age group, pedestrians 55 and older were most affected (34.0%). However, it’s also worth noting that around half of minor victims were 13 to 17.
Demographics of pedestrians killed
Demographic | Fatalities | % of fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Men | 2,344 | 72.5% |
| Women | 890 | 27.5% |
| Age | ||
| Younger than 2 | 12 | 0.4% |
| 2 to 5 | 27 | 0.8% |
| 6 to 12 | 35 | 1.1% |
| 13 to 17 | 76 | 2.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 315 | 9.7% |
| 25 to 39 | 869 | 26.9% |
| 40 to 54 | 802 | 24.8% |
| 55 to 69 | 766 | 23.7% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
On what part of a road do these accidents occur? Overall, 77.3% of pedestrian fatalities in Texas occurred on roadways, likely due in part to higher car speeds. Meanwhile, 10.2% took place at intersections and 3.4% happened off roads.
Location of pedestrian fatalities in Texas
Location | Fatalities | Percentage of fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| In marked crosswalk | 175 | 5.4% |
| At intersection | 160 | 5.0% |
| Not at intersection | 15 | 0.5% |
| At intersection | 328 | 10.2% |
| In marked crosswalk | 160 | 5.0% |
| Not in crosswalk | 93 | 2.9% |
| Unmarked crosswalk or unknown | 75 | 2.3% |
| On roadway | 2,491 | 77.3% |
| No crosswalk or unknown | 2,476 | 76.8% |
| In marked crosswalk | 15 | 0.5% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data. Note: Percentages may not equal the total in some categories due to rounding.
Given that most fatalities occur on roadways rather than intersections or crosswalks, it makes sense that the top cause is pedestrian failure to yield (30.8%), walking or running along a roadway (16.3%) and crossing an expressway (9.3%). Another 6.1% of fatalities are disabled vehicle-related, meaning the accident involved a car unable to operate safely or under its own power. And 4.5% of fatalities involve a darting or dashing pedestrian.
Select causes of pedestrian fatalities
Cause | Fatalities | % of fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Pedestrian failed to yield | 995 | 30.8% |
| Walking or running along roadway | 526 | 16.3% |
| Crossing an expressway | 301 | 9.3% |
| Disabled vehicle-related | 197 | 6.1% |
| Pedestrian dashing or darting | 146 | 4.5% |
| Turning motorist | 93 | 2.9% |
| Lying in roadway | 91 | 2.8% |
| Motorist failed to yield | 54 | 1.7% |
| Standing in roadway | 50 | 1.5% |
| Motor vehicle loss of control | 40 | 1.2% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NHTSA FARS data.
Given this, Sangameshwar says, drivers and pedestrians must always remember to practice basic road safety rules.
"Pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users because they aren’t equipped with protective equipment such as airbags, seat belts and bumpers, so drivers need to be watchful for pedestrians and do their part to keep them safe," she says. "It’s also important for pedestrians to stay safe on the roads. You should only cross the street at marked intersections or crosswalks, and even if the roads are empty, look left, right, then left again before crossing."
Auto insurance and pedestrian accidents: What to know
Nobody wants to hit a pedestrian while driving — and nobody wants to get hit by a car either. Still, accidents do happen. Should you find yourself in an accident, Sangameshwar says the circumstances will decide whether the driver is criminally guilty or if the pedestrian was negligent.
Still, you should know a few things about how your auto insurance will address these accidents. Particularly:
- When a car hits a pedestrian in Texas, the at-fault driver is responsible for paying medical expenses, wage losses and other applicable damages related to the crash. "The injured pedestrian would typically file a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance company," Sangameshwar says. "However, if the driver is uninsured or it was a hit-and-run accident, there may be no source of liability insurance for the pedestrian to make a claim against. Even if the driver is insured, Texas only requires minimum liability coverage of $30,000 per person or $60,000 for an auto accident with multiple victims."
- If the driver broke the law in any way that contributed to the crash, they could end up in criminal court. "Examples include driving while intoxicated, engaging in a hit-and-run or reckless driving," she says. "The driver may also receive notice of a civil case filed against him or her."
- If the pedestrian were found to be at fault, they could also be held partially liable for the resulting accident. "However, most auto insurers won’t pursue the injured individual to recover the money the company paid out," she says.
Methodology
Researchers analyzed and combined multiple National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data sets to calculate statistics and locations of pedestrian fatalities between 2016 and 2020.
Frontage roads were designated as part of the U.S. highway system in the data and were included in our analysis of U.S. highways and interstates. Our city and town analysis was limited to the 70 municipalities in Texas with at least 50,000 residents in 2020.
Roadways were listed as written by the person submitting the accident report to NHTSA; as such, there were variations and possibly errors in how roadways were named. We standardized, but some roadways can include two designated roadways concurrently (such as two interstates joining for a period or a city street becoming a state route for a period).
There were also instances where designations such as “east” or “business” may not have been provided. For example, we had several entries for variations of Zarzamora Street that didn’t include the “North” or “South” designation. Thus, we merged all incidents under the single street name for clarity.