El Paso Pedestrian Accident Statistics

How Many Pedestrian Accidents Happen in El Paso Each Year?

El Paso County averaged 285 pedestrian crashes per year over 2023–2025, totaling 855 pedestrian crashes and 57 fatalities in three years (TxDOT CRIS). The year-over-year trend is increasing: 278 crashes in 2023, a slight dip to 263 in 2024, then a jump to 314 in 2025.

The following table summarizes El Paso pedestrian crash data by year.

Source: TxDOT CRIS, El Paso County, pulled 04/04/2026.

The 2025 spike to 314 crashes counters any suggestion that pedestrian safety is improving in El Paso. Fatality counts fluctuated (19 to 22 to 16), but rising crash volume means more pedestrians are being struck each year.

Hit-and-run crashes make up 27.4% of all pedestrian incidents (234 of 855), and the annual count is climbing: 71 in 2023, 73 in 2024, 90 in 2025. Of those 234 hit-and-runs, 16 were fatal. When CRIS contributing factor data is analyzed, driver fault outnumbers pedestrian fault by a ratio of 2.4 to 1 (340 driver-at-fault incidents vs. 140 pedestrian-at-fault). Pedestrians make up nearly 1 in 4 of all El Paso traffic deaths (57 of 235, or 24.3%), broken down as 21.1% in 2023, 28.6% in 2024, and 23.5% in 2025.

The next question is where these 855 crashes concentrate across El Paso's road network.

El Paso's Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections for Pedestrians

Mesa Street/Alameda Avenue (SH0020) is the most dangerous pedestrian corridor in El Paso, with 68 crashes in three years according to TxDOT CRIS. Montana Avenue ranks second with 48 crashes, and I-10 feeder roads rank third with 44.

The map above illustrates how pedestrian crashes cluster along a small number of high-speed arterial corridors. The complete top 10 ranking shows a clear pattern: wide, fast roads with heavy foot traffic dominate.

Source: TxDOT CRIS, El Paso County, 2023–2025.

The top four corridors share common hazards: wide multi-lane crossings, posted speeds of 40–50 mph, heavy commercial foot traffic, and long gaps between marked crosswalks. All four Sun Metro Brio rapid transit lines run directly on these corridors: Mesa (Blue Line), Dyer (Green Line), Alameda (Purple Line), and Montana (Teal Line), with stops spaced roughly one mile apart on roads posted at 40–50 mph. Bus riders must cross these arterial roads at mid-block locations to reach stops, often without a crosswalk.

Dyer Street stands out with 3 fatal crashes, the longest gaps between crosswalks of any top corridor, and the highest mid-block crash density in the dataset. If you were struck on one of these corridors, knowing what to do if you're hit by a car in El Paso can protect both your health and your legal claim.

Beyond location, the time of day and week significantly affect pedestrian crash risk.

When Do Most Pedestrian Accidents Happen in El Paso?

The highest concentration of pedestrian crashes in El Paso occurs between 4 and 5 PM, with 82 crashes in three years, coinciding with the evening commute (TxDOT CRIS). The next three peak hours follow immediately: 3–4 PM (60), 5–6 PM (59), and 6–7 PM (57).

Crash peaks and fatality peaks happen at different times. Afternoon rush hour produces the most collisions, but pedestrian fatalities peak at night: 7–8 PM (6 fatal), 4–5 AM (5 fatal), 5–6 AM (5 fatal), and 9–10 PM (5 fatal). The disconnect exists because dark conditions dramatically increase crash severity even when crash volume is lower.

The chart above reveals why time of day matters for pedestrian safety in El Paso. Friday is the deadliest day of the week, with 156 crashes and 12 fatalities over three years. The full day-of-week breakdown shows a weekday commuter pattern, not a nightlife pattern: Monday 137 crashes (7 fatal), Tuesday 123 (9), Wednesday 137 (8), Thursday 121 (6), Friday 156 (12), Saturday 100 (8), Sunday 81 (7).

Light conditions tell a similar story. Daylight accounts for 562 crashes (66%), but dark conditions account for 270 (31.6%), split between dark-lighted (180) and dark-not-lighted (81). Fatalities are disproportionately concentrated in dark conditions. Nationally, 77% of all pedestrian fatalities occur in the dark (NHTSA, 2023). October is El Paso's deadliest month for pedestrians because the fall time change shifts the evening commute into darkness, creating a dangerous sunset spike period where driver visibility drops abruptly.

Timing patterns reveal when crashes happen, but the data also shows which age groups face the greatest risk.

Who Is Most at Risk? Pedestrian Crash Data by Age Group

Adults aged 25–44 face the highest fatality rate in El Paso pedestrian crashes at 9.3%, meaning roughly 1 in 11 pedestrians struck in this age group died (TxDOT CRIS, 2023–2025). This age group also has the highest crash volume at 237 incidents.

The following table breaks down El Paso pedestrian crashes by age group, showing both volume and fatality rate.

Source: TxDOT CRIS, El Paso County, 2023–2025.

Crash volume and fatality rate tell different stories. The 25–44 group leads in both total crashes (237) and fatality rate (9.3%). Seniors 65 and older rank second in fatality rate at 7.1%, likely because physical frailty amplifies injury severity. Research from the AAA Foundation confirms the age-speed interaction: a 70-year-old pedestrian struck at 25 mph faces the same fatality risk as a 30-year-old struck at 35 mph.

Children aged 0–14 account for 77 crashes but only 1 fatality in three years. School zones are relatively safe, with just 8 crashes and zero fatalities. What does this mean for the 25–44 age group? The data points to working-age adults commuting, running errands, and crossing arterial roads during peak traffic hours.

El Paso's pedestrian crash data takes on additional weight when compared against state and national averages.

How El Paso Compares to Texas and National Pedestrian Safety Averages

Texas ranks second in the nation for total pedestrian fatality volume, with approximately 750–800 pedestrian deaths per year, behind only California at roughly 1,100 per year (NHTSA FARS). Texas, California, and Florida together account for about one-third of all pedestrian deaths in the United States.

On a per-capita basis, Texas ranks 11th nationally at 2.62 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents. The national rate stands at 2.33 per 100,000 (NHTSA, 2022), a figure that represents a 40-year high and an increase of roughly 50% since 2013. The states with the highest per-capita rates are New Mexico (4.97), Arizona (3.65), South Carolina (3.48), and Florida (3.41).

El Paso's pedestrian fatality share of 24.3% (57 of 235 total traffic deaths over three years) means pedestrians account for nearly 1 in 4 traffic deaths locally. The Vision Zero program acknowledged this when it launched: the city's own data identified 124 pedestrian fatalities between 2016 and 2020, and El Paso was ranked the 18th deadliest metro area in the country for pedestrians.

Are things getting better? National pedestrian fatalities hit a 40-year peak in 2022. In El Paso, CRIS data shows crash volume increasing from 278 to 314 between 2023 and 2025. New Mexico, directly bordering El Paso County, has the worst per-capita pedestrian fatality rate in the nation at 4.97 per 100,000, placing the region among the most dangerous in the country for people on foot.

The speed at which vehicles travel on El Paso's arterial roads is the single biggest factor in whether a pedestrian crash becomes a fatality.

Speed Limits and Pedestrian Fatality Rates on El Paso Roads

Pedestrians struck on El Paso roads with 50+ mph speed limits die at a rate of 36.2%, which is 8.6 times higher than the 4.2% fatality rate at 30 mph, according to TxDOT CRIS data (2023–2025). The local data breaks down as follows: 30 mph zones produced 216 crashes and 9 fatalities (4.2% fatality rate), while 50+ mph zones produced 69 crashes and 25 fatalities (36.2% fatality rate).

The AAA Foundation's national speed-fatality curve validates these local findings with precise thresholds: 10% fatality probability at 23 mph, 25% at 32 mph, 50% at 42 mph, 75% at 50 mph, and 90% at 58 mph. The relationship is not linear. Each additional 10 mph above 30 roughly doubles the probability of death.

El Paso's deadliest pedestrian corridors sit squarely in the danger zone. The Brio rapid transit corridors along Mesa, Dyer, Alameda, and Montana carry posted speed limits of 40–50 mph, placing them in the steepest part of the fatality curve. The default urban speed limit in Texas is 30 mph, but these arterials are posted well above that threshold.

Age compounds the speed risk. A 70-year-old pedestrian struck at 25 mph faces the same fatality probability as a 30-year-old struck at 35 mph (AAA Foundation). Vehicle type matters too: SUVs and light trucks are 2–3 times deadlier than sedans at the same impact speed because their higher bumper profile strikes the pedestrian's torso rather than the lower extremities. Understanding how El Paso pedestrian crash data affects settlement values is critical because speed at impact directly determines injury severity and claim value.

El Paso's city government has begun addressing these patterns through its Vision Zero program.

What Is El Paso Doing About Pedestrian Safety?

El Paso launched its Vision Zero program in June 2023, committing to eliminate traffic deaths by 2050 and securing more than $46 million in federal and state funding for pedestrian safety infrastructure. The program was prompted by the city's own data: 124 pedestrian fatalities between 2016 and 2020, a figure that ranked El Paso the 18th deadliest metro area for pedestrians in the country.

The following projects represent the largest funding commitments to address pedestrian safety in El Paso.

• $9.9 million SS4A grant (Safe Streets and Roads for All): Funds a complete overhaul of North Yarbrough Drive, one of the corridors identified in the city's High Injury Network for missing crosswalks and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure.
• $36.5 million TxDOT bike/pedestrian infrastructure: Covers improvements along Magoffin Avenue, Piedras Street, and Paisano Drive, including new sidewalks, crosswalks, and signal upgrades on streets where pedestrians currently have limited safe crossing options.
• $74 million Downtown Deck Plaza over I-10: Creates a pedestrian-accessible bridge over the interstate, reconnecting neighborhoods severed by the highway.
• Quick Build policy (January 2026): Authorizes rapid, low-cost safety fixes (curb extensions, high-visibility crosswalks, signal retiming) without multi-year planning cycles.

The CRIS data presents an uncomfortable contrast. Despite Vision Zero's launch in mid-2023, pedestrian crash volume increased from 263 in 2024 to 314 in 2025. The infrastructure investments are underway, but the crash trend has not yet reversed.

Common questions about El Paso's pedestrian safety data address the broader context behind these numbers.