Austin leads major Texas cities in the proportion of pedestrian crashes, with 3.2% involving pedestrians, says a city auditor’s report.
AUSTIN, Texas —  A new city audit reveals how frequently pedestrians in Austin are being injured or killed by drivers — and how the city compares to other major Texas metro areas.
The report, requested by City Council Members Paige Ellis and Zo Gadri, asked the city auditor’s office to review how police respond to and report crashes, and whether a 2021 state law on pedestrian safety is being applied locally.
Between September 2021 and July 2025, Austin recorded 52,286 traffic crashes — fewer than in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, or El Paso. But the city had the highest percentage of pedestrian-involved crashes at 3.2%, representing 1,689 incidents.
Austin also ranked third among those cities for fatal or serious injury rates in pedestrian crashes, at nearly 28%.
The audit reviewed enforcement of the Lisa Torry Smith Act, which requires drivers to stop and yield to people in crosswalks. The law is named for a Missouri City woman killed in 2017 while crossing the street.
Statewide prosecutions under the act remain rare. In Austin, of 472 pedestrian crashes involving death or serious injury, only two cases were referred to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. One led to a conviction; the other is still pending.
The report did not make policy recommendations but compiled the data at the request of council members.