School is back in session and there’s a lot more foot traffic in local neighborhoods.
There has also been a recent rise in recent accidents involving pedestrians.
25 News reached out to local law enforcement which reminds Central Texans to pay attention when behind the wheel.
Paul Nardella crosses the street often, and knows first-hand the dangers for pedestrians.
His dad was killed crossing the road.
“He was crossing the road and a car came behind another one and hit him — it killed him instantly.”
He’s not alone.
In 2022, there were 5,766 crashes involving pedestrians in Texas, resulting in 830 deaths.
Miseal Rico was just 6-years-old when a distracted driver hit him and his mom as she was walking him to school.
"I don’t want anyone else to suffer like I have," he said.
Rico started the “Be Safe, Drive Smart” initiative with TXDOT reminding drivers to pay attention.
The Temple Police Department is also reminding drivers to be on the lookout for pedestrians.
“I would advise to be cautious of walkers. They are allowed to be in roadway," said Temple police officer, Ryan Cabral.
Pedestrians should walk against the flow of traffic, but they don’t always do that, so it’s the drivers job to look out for the pedestrians.
A graph by the National Safety Council shows pedestrian deaths dropped in 2009, but started trending upward since then and continue to rise.
So pay attention — it could help save a life, like Paul’s father.
"Be a little more cautious," he said.
