Pedestrian deaths account for one in five of all traffic fatalities in Texas and two out of every three of those are on interstates or highways, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Divya Sangameshwar, an insurance expert with Lending Tree, says they looked at the data from 2016 to 2020, and 37.6% of pedestrian traffic deaths happen on highways.
"Almost 10% of fatalities happen on Interstate 35 and Interstate 10, she said. "These are the two most dangerous interstates in Texas, followed by interstates 45, 20, and 30."
Streets aren't exactly safe either. Four out of the five deadliest local streets are in San Antonio, and 11 Houston streets were among the 30 most dangerous local streets in Texas.
The worst road to walk on is San Antonio's San Pedro Avenue. San Antonio's Culebra Road, Old Highway 90, and Zarzamora Street were also among the five deadliest local streets, along with Bellaire Boulevard in Houston.
Sangameshwar cautioned drivers to be vigilant and aware of pedestrians. The top reasons why these accidents happen are the pedestrian's failure to yield (30.8%), walking or running along a roadway (16.3%), and crossing an expressway (9.3%). More than a quarter of pedestrians killed in Texas between 2016 and 2020 tested positive for drugs and/or alcohol.
Sangameshwar said in the highly unfortunate event you hit someone, you could face an insurance nightmare. In Texas, the minimum liability coverage for auto insurance is $30,000 dollars per person and $60,000 for an accident with multiple victims, which may not cover the tab.
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