Houston records third-highest pedestrian deaths in America – Report

Houston recorded 98 pedestrian deaths in 2023, placing it third nationally behind Los Angeles (145) and Phoenix (109) and ahead of New York City (85), according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency reported 7,314 pedestrian fatalities nationwide last year, a slight decline, while estimated pedestrian injuries rose to about 68,244.

NHTSA defines “pedestrians” as people walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting or lying down; the agency excludes users of scooters, wheelchairs, skates and other personal mobility devices.

A Washington Post investigation that analyzed crash data from 2010 through 2023 highlights short stretches of U.S. roads where fatalities have concentrated.

In Houston, a 3.5-mile portion of Westheimer Road saw 36 pedestrian deaths during that 13-year span. The report also identified FM 1960 among the nation’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians between 2021 and 2023.

“We’ve known for a long time that Houston has a serious crash problem,” said Robin Holzer, director of transportation advocacy group LINK Houston. Holzer pointed to Westheimer repeatedly as a danger spot: “This particular one-mile segment of Westheimer… in the last seven years, 1,100 people have been involved in crashes.”

Holzer said Houston’s built environment, wide, fast corridors with heavy foot traffic around transit stops, is a major factor. “Here on this block of Westheimer, there are 12,000 people a day riding the Metro 82 bus. Every one of them is on foot at one end of their trip or the other,” she said.

At a gas station along FM 1960, employee Gwendolyn Lincoln told KPRC 2 News the threat is constant. “I’ve seen so many wrecks. It’s unbelievable,” she said, describing drivers who frequently speed and, at times, race. Lincoln said a recently installed median has helped slow traffic “a little bit,” but urged both drivers and pedestrians to remain vigilant: “People need to pay more attention, especially watching the people that’s walking.”

City and state officials say steps are coming. Mayor John Whitmire, in a statement to KPRC 2 News, acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and noted portions of the data predate his administration. “The pedestrian deaths are a major concern. The City of Houston will enhance traffic enforcement and safety measures. We are making changes that will address this urgent problem,” he said.

The Texas Department of Transportation told KPRC 2 News the Houston District is planning improvements on FM 1093/Westheimer Road to better draw drivers’ attention to pedestrians, and will update and enhance pedestrian crosswalks from I-610 to SH 6.

TxDOT said the crosswalk redesign uses specialized striping to visually narrow lanes and encourage slower driving; the project is scheduled for 2027. The agency is also studying the feasibility of midblock crosswalks.

Holzer says many effective safety measures don’t require years to implement. “There are easy, affordable roadway design changes we could make, like splitter islands… that would help drivers know, ‘I need to be careful, I need to slow my roll.’ We’re not doing that yet,” she said.

Some characterize Houston as a “car city,” but Holzer argued the reality is more complex: “You might live on a street where nobody’s walking, but on Westheimer thousands of people are walking to and from the bus every day.”

For residents who walk these corridors, the need for action is immediate. “You never know when somebody’s going to run across the street,” Lincoln said. “People need to pay more attention.”