Despite ambitious plans to improve traffic safety in the city, Dallas remains one of the country’s most dangerous municipalities for drivers and pedestrians.
In June 2022, the Dallas City Council adopted its Vision Zero plan with the goal of eliminating all traffic-related deaths and reducing severe injury crashes by 50% by the year 2030. The plan includes targeted improvement of street infrastructure, lowering speed limits, redesigning dangerous intersections, and boosting law enforcement’s presence.
However, despite officials’ efforts, recent data reveals that several roads remain hotspots for severe crashes, as The Dallas Morning News reported. A staggering 62% of severe traffic accidents in Dallas occur along 15 segments of streets, which comprise only 7% of the city’s total roadways.
The dangerous areas scattered around Dallas seem to be plagued with infrastructure design faults, such as high-speed limits, poor lighting, and confusing transition zones where drivers must rapidly adjust their speed to match traffic.
Although Vision Zero was initiated in 2022, progress has been slow. City council discussions earlier this year revealed that meeting the 2030 goal may require more substantial resources. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas announced in April that it will continue to advance its Vision Zero road safety initiative.
During an April 3 briefing, Transportation Director Ghassan Khankarli addressed the program’s slow progress and outlined future objectives in a detailed 67-page presentation.
Dallas is among over 45 cities participating in the Vision Zero initiative, including major Texas cities like Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Despite big investments in safety programs, these cities have struggled to achieve substantial reductions in traffic fatalities, per The Dallas Morning News.
Earlier this year, Dallas residents raised concerns about pedestrian safety following a fatal hit-and-run last summer, which has led to a petition to close Akard Street to all vehicular traffic.
The petition, started by local resident Hexel Colorado on February 27, cites the death of Lisa Jordan in a hit-and-run incident on August 6, 2023, as a key need for change. Jordan was struck while following pedestrian safety rules.
According to a 2023 study by Forbes Advisor, Texas was ranked the fifth most dangerous state for drivers. A study by U.S. News & World Report last year ranked Dallas the ninth most dangerous city in the United States for drivers.