Houston Among Most Dangerous U.S. Cities for Walking at Night, Study Finds

HOUSTON, Texas (TXAN 24) — A new nationwide study by Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers identifies Houston as the third most dangerous city in the U.S. for pedestrians after dark. Over the course of a year, 88 pedestrians were killed in nighttime traffic incidents; the highest number among the cities analyzed.

Albuquerque ranks first, with eight fatalities per 100,000 residents and just 864 police officers in the city, while Memphis comes in second with a similarly high fatality rate and residents rating their safety walking alone at night just 15 out of 100.

Houston’s limited surveillance coverage — roughly 500 CCTV cameras per 100,000 residents; and sprawling urban layout contribute to the city’s high risk for nighttime walkers. Other Texas cities were not among the top five, but the report underscores ongoing challenges for pedestrian safety across urban areas nationwide.

Ruben Davidoff, managing partner at Davidoff Law, noted, “Ensuring well-lit streets, adequate law enforcement presence, and accessible surveillance measures is critical to reducing accidents and improving safety for residents walking at night.”

The study analyzed streetlight density, police presence, CCTV coverage, residents’ perceived safety, and nighttime pedestrian fatalities to calculate a composite Night Walk Risk Score for each city.

Full study details are available at Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers.