Prioritize on-the-road safety during Safe Streets Week

Published on November 10, 2026

In recognition of Safe Streets Week (Nov. 9-15) and the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (Nov. 15), the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) is reinforcing its commitment to ending fatalities on North Texas roadways by 2050.

Nov. 7, 2000, was the last day Texas went without a traffic fatality.

Statistics show the region is making significant progress. Since 2023, fatalities and fatality crashes are down 14% in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to figures compiled by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). But there's work to do to reach the lofty goal of zero fatalities by 2050. One way to stay focused on this goal is to set aside weeks to recognize safety.

The RTC is also highlighting Crash Responder Safety Week (Nov. 2-6), recognizing the emergency personnel, law enforcement officers, tow truck operators and roadside assistance teams who risk their lives daily on area roadways.

According to regional transportation safety data, speeding and unsafe driver behaviors remain the leading contributing factors in traffic crashes across the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. In response, the RTC and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Transportation Department are advancing targeted engineering, policy and public education aimed at creating a safer, more reliable transportation system.

Funding for infrastructure improvements

At the core of this regional safety strategy is the $57 million Regional Transportation Council Safety Program - a funding allocation that supports local governments, law enforcement agencies and transportation partners across the region to implement high-impact safety countermeasures.

The program funds critical infrastructure improvements, enhanced speed enforcement, traffic incident management tools and public outreach aimed directly at curbing high-risk driving behaviors such as driver distraction and speeding.

Speeding continues to be the single highest contributing factor in severe and fatal crashes across North Texas. In 2025, speeding accounted for 34% of serious and fatal crashes on the region's highways.

Fort Worth pilot targets speeding

To help curb high-speed crashes, the NCTCOG Transportation Department and RTC partnered with the Fort Worth Police Department on a data-driven speed pilot program in which police enforcement is increased on Loop 820 and Interstate Highway 30 from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. - statistically the most dangerous hours on area roadways.

The primary goal is to slow down drivers, prevent collisions and reduce injuries. Launched in August, the pilot program will also provide valuable data as the NCTCOG Transportation Department and the RTC seek opportunities to partner with other police departments across the region to improve overall safety.

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