Fall and winter months bring shorter days and less light, making it harder for drivers to see—and safely avoid—pedestrians. October saw the highest number of pedestrian crashes on Texas roadways in 2022. That’s why TxDOT is using National Pedestrian Safety Month to launch its “Be Safe. Drive Smart” campaign and remind Texans that pedestrians are our most vulnerable road users.
When he was 6 years old, Misael Rico was walking to school with his mother when a distracted driver crashed into them, dragging him underneath the car. That night, doctors told his parents he might never walk or talk again. After countless surgeries and years of physical therapy, Rico started college this year, and joins TxDOT to urge drivers to pay attention and watch for people walking.
Only 1% of crashes in Texas involve pedestrians, yet they make up 19% of all traffic deaths. In the last five years, pedestrian traffic fatalities in Texas increased 29.6%, reflecting nationwide trends. In 2022, 5,764 traffic crashes involving pedestrians occurred in Texas, resulting in 829 deaths and 1,526 serious injuries.
