Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Senior Research Engineer Robert Wunderlich briefed the Texas House Committee on Transportation Mar. 30, 2021 on pedestrian fatality statistics as background for House Bill 443. Wunderlich, director of TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety, briefed lawmakers on the increase in Texas pedestrian fatalities since 2011 and the characteristics associated with them.
Appearing as a resource witness before the committee, Wunderlich reported that “Pedestrian fatalities in Texas have risen steadily over the past 10 years,” citing an overall increase of 69 percent in pedestrian fatalities in Texas between 2011 and 2020. More than 700 pedestrian fatalities occurred last year
While stating TTI’s neutral stance on the bill, Wunderlich also pointed out that pedestrian safety is one of seven emphasis areas embraced by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in the state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Wunderlich and other experts in TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety helped TxDOT formulate the current plan in 2017. | View the Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan