The Texas Department of Transportation is asking all road users to watch for people on foot as days grow shorter and more driving happens after dark, according to an Oct. 26 news release.
TxDOT said 694 people were killed by vehicles while walking in Texas in 2025. Nearly 20 percent of those deaths occurred in October and November, and 68 percent of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries last year happened in the dark. The agency noted that pedestrian fatalities fell 10 percent from 2024 to 2025, but said pedestrian deaths still make up 18 percent of all traffic deaths. Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1.
The release highlighted the story of Jose Flores III, a 16-year-old from San Antonio who was struck by a truck while walking in a crosswalk and died about a month later, in October 2025. His mother, Amanda Saucedo, urged drivers to pay attention. “Please watch out for pedestrians. Be careful, because no family should have to go through this,” Saucedo said.
“People walking are already at greater risk when they are near traffic,” said Marc Williams, TxDOT executive director, who added that low visibility at night increases that risk.
Throughout October and November, the agency said, it is deploying street teams with walking billboards that display pedestrian safety tips in places where drivers and pedestrians share the road. The effort ties into TxDOT’s “Drive like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe.” initiative.
For drivers, TxDOT advised staying alert, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks and when turning, avoiding phone use, taking care when passing stopped vehicles, following speed limits, and being especially cautious with SUVs and pickups, which have large blind spots. For pedestrians, the agency recommended crossing only at intersections and crosswalks, making eye contact with drivers, following signals, looking both ways, avoiding distractions such as phones and earbuds, and wearing reflective gear or carrying a light at night.
With the time change approaching, the agency said extra caution from everyone sharing the road can help prevent more families from experiencing a loss like the Flores family’s.