SAN ANTONIO – As a driving instructor, Mark Alonso said it’s unsurprising to hear motor vehicle-pedestrian accidents are rising in San Antonio.
“No, not at all,” Alonso said. “That’s a shame, and we keep trending upward.”
Data from the San Antonio Police Department shows a rise in motor vehicle-pedestrian accidents from 2022 to 2023.
Experts in three completely different fields in the city said these types of crashes are becoming more and more commonplace.
“It seems comparatively we have a higher number of motor vehicles hitting pedestrians,” Jennifer Northway, the director of injury prevention at University Health said. “It’s certainly a danger that exists in all neighborhoods across the city.”
Motor vehicle-pedestrian accidents are most commonly defined as crashes involving a car and someone walking, running or not otherwise in a vehicle at the time of the accident.
Northway said these types of accidents in San Antonio happen on side roads and highways alike.
“With all the construction that we’re having across the city, you don’t have a lot of median space, and you don’t have a lot of shoulder space,” Northway said. “It’s really important for those of us who are walking to be mindful and paying attention.”
Northway said for pedestrians, walking without distraction and crossing at designated intersections can help minimize these accidents. Alonso said that if drivers can stay alert and lower the car speed, that could also help change the statistics.
“We live in a society now where we’re kind of glued to our phones. Unfortunately, we’re not paying attention to what’s going on in our surroundings,” Alonso said. “We do a very poor job of enforcing our jaywalking ordinances.”
In 2023, December had the most motor vehicle-pedestrian accidents, with a total of 85 crashes.
In 2022, October had the most, with a total of 83.
To read more about San Antonio’s Vision Zero program to help prevent traffic deaths, click here.