# America’s Evening Hotspots | Texas Law Dog

As daylight fades, driving home can become more difficult. Drivers may have less time to see people crossing the road, spot hazards, or react to another vehicle. These concerns are especially important during fall and winter, when the sun sets earlier.

Clocks are scheduled to return to standard time on November 1, 2026, at 2 a.m. local time. Although Texas passed legislation in 2025 allowing the state to pursue permanent daylight saving time, federal authorization is still required. The upcoming clock change brings renewed attention to visibility during evening travel, although this study does not establish that changing the clocks causes fatal crashes.

The Texas Law Dog reviewed federal crash records to learn where fatal crashes happened after dark during weekday evenings in 2024. The study focused on Monday through Friday, from 4 p.m. to just before 8 p.m., during January, February, and September through December.

The results show that Mississippi had the highest rate of fatal crashes in this time period when compared with its population. Texas ranked 21st among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Within Texas, San Antonio and Houston had the highest rates among the four metro areas studied.

But the numbers also reveal a serious concern closer to home. In the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area, pedestrians made up half of all deaths in the study’s after-dark group.

A separate review of Texas crash records found that the share of reported crashes that were fatal was much higher during the 6 p.m. hour than during the 5 p.m. hour. These findings offer a closer look at when and where fatal crashes happen, and why visibility matters.

## Where Are Fatal Evening Crashes Most Common?

The Texas Law Dog’s review found 1,710 fatal crashes in darkness during the study’s selected weekday evening hours in fall and winter 2024. Those crashes caused 1,784 deaths across the country.

Darkness was recorded in 56% of all fatal crashes during the selected hours. The study counted crashes recorded as dark, whether the road had lights, had no lights, or had an unknown lighting status. Crashes recorded at dusk were not included in the main ranking.

To compare states of different sizes, the study measured fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. This helps show how the number of crashes compares with the size of each state’s population. It does not show a person’s chance of being in a crash on any one trip.

Mississippi had the highest rate, with 1.390 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. Texas had a rate of 0.517, slightly above the national rate of 0.503.

### The 10 States With the Highest Rates

![Where early-evening fatal crashes cluster after dark](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/where-early-evening-fatal-crashes-cluster-after-dark.png)

*Source: The Texas Law Dog’s analysis of 2024 federal fatal crash records and U.S. Census population estimates. Rates count fatal crashes, not people killed.*

Mississippi’s rate was about 2.76 times the national rate. It had 41 fatal crashes in the study’s time period, compared with 162 in Texas.

These results also show why the number of crashes alone does not tell the whole story. Florida had 171 fatal crashes, more than any state in the top 10, but its rate was lower than Mississippi’s. Florida also has a much larger population.

Small numbers can affect rankings, too. Delaware ranked third with 11 fatal crashes. A change of only a few crashes could have a large effect on its rate and rank.

Texas ranked 21st among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The 162 fatal crashes in the study’s Texas group caused 178 deaths.

The ranking offers a snapshot of fatal crashes during a set time and under specific conditions. It does not mean that a state with a lower rate has no serious road safety problems.

## How Do Texas’s Major Metro Areas Compare?

The study also compared four Texas metro areas: San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Dallas–Fort Worth. It used the counties that make up each metro area, not just the city limits.

San Antonio had the highest rate among these four areas, followed closely by Houston. Austin ranked third, while Dallas–Fort Worth had the lowest rate.

![Four Texas metros compared after dark](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/four-texas-metros-compared-after-dark.png)

*Source: The Texas Law Dog’s analysis of federal fatal crash records and population estimates.*

San Antonio and Houston had very close rates. The study does not show that the small gap between them reflects a clear difference in safety.

Dallas–Fort Worth had a rate about 28.6% below the national rate. Yet the metro area still had 30 fatal crashes that killed 30 people during the study’s selected hours.

Most notably, 15 of those people were pedestrians. That means pedestrians accounted for half of the deaths in the Dallas–Fort Worth group.

Dallas County had eight of the metro area’s 30 fatal crashes, while Tarrant County had nine. Together, the two counties accounted for 17 crashes, or 56.7% of the total.

A separate analysis from Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design 2026 report provides additional context. Among 101 metropolitan areas, San Antonio ranked 24th, Houston 34th, Austin tied for 35th, and Dallas–Fort Worth 44th for average annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents from 2020 through 2024. These rankings reflect all hours and a five-year period, rather than the narrower after-dark evening window examined in this study.

These are county-level figures, not figures for the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth alone.

A lower overall rate does not mean every road user faces the same concerns. The number of pedestrian deaths in Dallas–Fort Worth shows why it is important to look beyond a single ranking.

## Why Does the 6 p.m. Hour Stand Out in Texas?

Texas crash records show a sharp change between the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. hours.

The Texas Law Dog reviewed the state’s reported weekday crashes from all of 2025, including crashes in every month and under all lighting conditions. The review compared fatal crashes with all reported crashes during each hour.

At 5 p.m., Texas recorded 102 fatal crashes out of 36,020 reported crashes. That means about 2.83 out of every 1,000 reported crashes were fatal.

At 6 p.m., the state recorded 146 fatal crashes out of 27,754 reported crashes. That equals about 5.26 fatal crashes per 1,000 reported crashes.

The share of reported crashes that were fatal was about 85.8% higher during the 6 p.m. hour than during the 5 p.m. hour.

![Texas crash severity rises after 5 p.m.](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/texas-crash-severity-rises-after-5-pm.png)

*Source: TxDOT’s 2025 crash tables. Each row covers the hour listed, from the start of the hour through 59 minutes after.*

The difference is worth attention. The number of reported crashes fell by about 22.9% from the 5 p.m. hour to the 6 p.m. hour. Yet the number of fatal crashes rose by about 43.1%.

This does not mean that every person driving at 6 p.m. is more likely to die in a crash than someone driving at 5 p.m. The figures compare the severity of reported crashes, not the risk faced by each person on the road.

The records also do not prove that darkness caused the difference. Traffic patterns, road types, speed, alcohol, and other factors may affect crash outcomes.

The study’s separate 2024 fall and winter analysis also found that darkness became increasingly common during these hours. At 5 p.m., 330 of 789 fatal crashes (41.8%) were recorded as dark. That increased to 649 of 867 crashes (74.9%) at 6 p.m. and 706 of 805 crashes (87.7%) at 7 p.m.

Combined, the 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. hours accounted for 1,355 of the nation’s 1,710 qualifying fatal crashes recorded as dark, or 79.2%.

Texas showed a similar pattern in the study’s selected months. The 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. hours together accounted for 146 of the state’s 162 fatal crashes recorded as dark.

Across Texas, TxDOT recorded 3,769 traffic deaths in 2025, a 9.38% decrease from 2024. Another 17,420 people sustained serious injuries. These statewide, full-year figures provide a broader context but are separate from the study’s selected after-dark crash group.

These results highlight the need to pay attention to road conditions as daylight fades. They do not tell us which people were commuting or whether a specific crash was caused by poor visibility.

## Pedestrians Face a Heavy Toll After Dark

Pedestrians made up a large share of the deaths in the study. Across the country, 699 of the 1,784 people killed in the selected after-dark crashes were pedestrians. That was 39.2% of all deaths in the group.

For context, pedestrians accounted for 18% of all U.S. road deaths in 2024. These figures do not reflect the risk faced by each person walking because the study did not measure how many people were walking during those hours.

Looking at all of 2024, 5,383 of the nation’s 7,080 pedestrian deaths occurred in crashes recorded as dark, accounting for 76.0% of the total. In Texas, 604 of 763 pedestrian deaths occurred in darkness, or 79.2%. These figures include all hours and days of the year, making them separate from the study’s narrower weekday evening analysis.

The local results also show how much the pedestrian toll can vary between metro areas.

In Dallas–Fort Worth, 15 of 30 deaths were pedestrians. In Houston, 11 of 34 deaths were pedestrians. San Antonio recorded six pedestrian deaths out of 14 total deaths, while Austin recorded one out of 11.

The national records also show that older pedestrians made up a large share of the deaths. People age 65 and older accounted for 236 of the 699 pedestrian deaths in the selected after-dark group, or 33.8%.

### When Do Pedestrian Deaths Happen?

A broader review of national pedestrian deaths in 2024 found that 1,703 of 7,080 deaths happened between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. That was 24.1% of all pedestrian deaths that year.

Among standard three-hour periods, 6–8:59 p.m. recorded the highest number of pedestrian deaths nationwide in 2024, exceeding the 1,648 deaths recorded between 9 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Within the study’s narrower after-dark weekday window, the 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. hours accounted for 557 of 699 pedestrian deaths, or 79.7%. These findings describe when fatalities occurred rather than the risk associated with an individual walking trip.

The share was much higher during winter than in summer.

![Winter’s early-evening pedestrian toll](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/winters-early-evening-pedestrian-toll.png)

*Source: The Texas Law Dog’s analysis of 2024 federal pedestrian fatality records. These figures include all days and lighting conditions.*

Winter had the largest share of pedestrian deaths during the 6 p.m. to 8:59 p.m. period. Summer had the smallest share.

This does not prove that walking is three times as dangerous in winter. The study did not measure how many people walked during each season or how much time they spent outside. The numbers show when pedestrian deaths happened, not the risk for each walking trip.

The results still point to an important issue: early evenings deserve attention when days are shorter, and more people may be traveling in low light.

## Road Lighting Is Only One Part of Visibility

The study also looked at road lighting in fatal crashes recorded as dark. Of the 1,710 qualifying crashes nationwide, 914 happened on roads recorded as unlit. Another 761 happened on roads recorded as lighted. The lighting status was unknown for 35 crashes.

![Road lighting in fatal crashes after dark](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/road-lighting-in-fatal-crashes-after-dark.png)

*Source: The Texas Law Dog’s analysis of federal fatal crash records.*

In Texas, 62.3% of the selected fatal crashes happened on roads recorded as unlit. That was higher than the national share of 53.5%.

However, the records do not show how much traffic or pedestrian activity took place on lighted and unlighted roads. They also do not measure how bright the lights were or whether they worked well. For these reasons, the figures cannot tell us whether streetlights would have prevented a particular crash.

The pedestrian findings show why this matters. Of the 699 pedestrians killed in the selected national group, 382 died in crashes recorded as happening on lighted roads. Another 299 died on unlit roads, while 18 had an unknown lighting status.

More pedestrian deaths on lighted roads do not mean that streetlights make roads more dangerous. More people may walk or drive on some lighted roads, and road design can differ from one location to another.

Weather conditions also varied across the recorded crashes. Clear weather was listed in 1,232 of the 1,710 fatal crashes, or 72%. Rain was listed in 176 crashes, or 10.3%. Snow was listed in 31 crashes, or 1.8%.

The records also provide insight into how these fatal crashes occurred. Angle collisions were recorded as the first collision manner in 285 crashes (16.7%), followed by front-to-front collisions in 179 (10.5%) and front-to-rear collisions in 85 (5.0%). Another 1,118 crashes involved a first harmful event other than a collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including pedestrian impacts and fixed-object crashes. These classifications describe recorded crash circumstances rather than establishing what caused them.

These numbers show that severe weather is not required for a fatal crash to happen. But they do not measure the chance of a crash in clear weather compared with rain or snow.

### Headlight Glare and Driver Vision

Headlights, road design, a driver’s ability to see clearly, and the way other road users appear in low light can all matter.

A March 2026 AAA survey found that six in ten drivers said they had problems with headlight glare. Among drivers who wore prescription glasses, 70% reported a glare problem, compared with 56% of drivers who did not wear them.

These are survey answers, not crash rates. They do not show that wearing glasses causes crashes or that glare caused the deaths in this study.

Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also found that glare was recorded in only about one or two out of every 1,000 nighttime crashes in data from 11 states between 2015 and 2023. Police reports may not capture every factor that played a part in a crash, so the low number does not mean glare never matters.

The Federal Highway Administration has also discussed how better lighting at pedestrian crossings can improve safety. Good lighting design must help people see without creating extra glare.

Together, these findings show why road lighting, headlights, driver vision, and road layout should be considered together. No single factor explains the patterns found in the study.

## Which Age Groups Account for the Most Deaths?

The study found deaths across every age group. People age 65 and older accounted for the largest number of deaths.

![Who is killed in fatal crashes after dark?](https://thetexaslawdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/who-is-killed-in-fatal-crashes-after-dark.png)

*Source: The Texas Law Dog’s analysis of federal fatal crash records. Counts include drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other road users.*

Nationally, 478 people age 65 and older died in the selected crashes. People ages 50 to 64 accounted for 417 deaths, while those ages 35 to 49 accounted for 370. Together, people ages 20 to 64 accounted for 1,151 deaths, or 64.5% of the national total. Although this age range includes much of the working-age population, the crash records do not establish whether those killed were employed or commuting at the time.

In Texas, people ages 50 to 64 made up the largest group in the study, with 52 deaths. Another 44 people aged 65 and older died. Together, these two age groups accounted for 53.9% of Texas’s 178 deaths in the selected group.

The pedestrian numbers also deserve attention. Of the 64 pedestrians killed in Texas in the study’s dark group, 22 were ages 50 to 64, and 24 were age 65 or older. Together, these age groups accounted for 71.9% of the pedestrian deaths.

These figures do not mean that older people cause more crashes or that any age group is the most likely to be involved in one. The study counts people who died. It does not measure how many people in each age group were driving or walking, how far they traveled, or who caused the crash.

The findings do show that fatal evening crashes affect people at many stages of life. For families, the loss can be devastating, no matter the person’s age or how the crash happened.

## What These Findings Mean for Texas Roads

The data point to several patterns. Mississippi had the highest population-adjusted rate of fatal crashes in the selected fall and winter weekday evening hours. Texas ranked 21st nationally, while San Antonio and Houston had the highest rates among the four Texas metro areas studied.

The hourly figures also show that fatal crashes made up a larger share of reported Texas crashes during the 6 p.m. hour than during the 5 p.m. hour. Meanwhile, pedestrians made up half of the deaths in the Dallas–Fort Worth group, even though its overall rate was below the national benchmark.

The study cannot show that darkness alone caused these crashes, and it cannot tell us who was at fault in any one case. But it does highlight the need to look closely at visibility, road design, vehicle conditions, and the safety of people walking near traffic.

When a serious crash happens, understanding what took place may require a careful review of the scene, road conditions, lighting, vehicles, and other evidence. A ranking or a single statistic cannot decide who is legally responsible for a crash.

For people and families affected by a fatal or serious road crash, the numbers are more than figures in a report. Each one represents a person whose life was changed or lost.

## How the Study Was Done

The Texas Law Dog reviewed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2024 Fatality Analysis Reporting System records for fatal crashes that happened Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to just before 8 p.m. in January, February, September, October, November, and December. The main ranking included crashes recorded as dark.

State and county rates used 2024 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The metro comparisons used official county-based metro area boundaries. A separate review of Texas Department of Transportation data compared fatal and nonfatal reported weekday crashes by hour in 2025.

The pedestrian season findings covered all days and lighting conditions in 2024, while the age and road lighting findings used the study’s selected after-dark group. Because of this, they should not be compared as if they measured the same thing.

The findings describe recorded patterns. They do not measure the chance of a crash on an individual trip, prove that darkness or another single factor caused a crash, or determine legal fault.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car crash, you do not have to face the next steps alone. Whether the crash involved speeding, distracted driving, poor visibility, or another driver’s careless actions, The Texas Law Dog can help you understand your legal options.

Our team is committed to helping injured Texans seek fair compensation for their losses. Contact The Texas Law Dog today to learn more about your options and discuss your case with a [Texas car accident lawyer](https://thetexaslawdog.com/texas/car-accident-lawyer/) from our firm.

### Resources

[https://static.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/downloads/FARS/2024/National/FARS2024NationalCSV.zip](https://static.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/downloads/FARS/2024/National/FARS2024NationalCSV.zip)

[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/totals/co-est2025-alldata.csv](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/counties/totals/co-est2025-alldata.csv)

[https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/geographies/reference-files/2023/delineation-files/list1_2023.xlsx](https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/geographies/reference-files/2023/delineation-files/list1_2023.xlsx)

[https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/division/trf/crash-records/2025/2025-fatal-non-fatal-crashes-hour-day-week.pdf](https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/division/trf/crash-records/2025/2025-fatal-non-fatal-crashes-hour-day-week.pdf)

[https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/division/trf/crash-records/2025/2025-texas-motor-vehicle-traffic-crash-facts.pdf](https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/docs/division/trf/crash-records/2025/2025-texas-motor-vehicle-traffic-crash-facts.pdf)

[https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813791](https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813791)

[https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813727](https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813727)

[https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813719](https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813719)

[https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst](https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/popular-links/daylight-saving-time-dst)

[https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?Bill=HB1393&LegSess=89R](https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?Bill=HB1393&LegSess=89R)

[https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01393F.htm](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB01393F.htm)

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/14/trumps-plan-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent-get-vote-house/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/14/trumps-plan-make-daylight-saving-time-permanent-get-vote-house/)

[https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/2026-dbd-rankings/](https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/2026-dbd-rankings/)

[https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/pedestrians](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/pedestrians)

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[https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/headlight-complaints-abound-but-glare-related-crashes-havent-increased](https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/headlight-complaints-abound-but-glare-related-crashes-havent-increased)

[https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/10/aaa-nighttime-paeb-rates-rising-from-0-to-60/](https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/10/aaa-nighttime-paeb-rates-rising-from-0-to-60/)

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Source: https://thetexaslawdog.com/research/rush-hour-after-dark-americas-early-evening-crash-hotspots/