FACTS FIRST
Cleveland County. Documents, then the fence.
Updated as of Oct 31, 2026 (CT)
Five years of deadly crashes on foot and bike near OKC and Norman schools
OKLAHOMA CITY — Federal crash records list 140 fatal crashes involving a pedestrian or bicyclist in Oklahoma City and 11 in Norman from 2020 through 2024.[1] In Oklahoma City, 52 of those crashes (37%) happened within half a mile of a public school, by Facts First's measurement against federal school locations.[2] In Norman, 2 did.
On Oct. 29 and 30, News 9 reported three separate cases of children or teens struck by vehicles in Oklahoma City and Tecumseh, including a hit-and-run near a northwest Oklahoma City school.[5] This page looks at the five-year pattern in the federal fatal-crash records rather than any single crash. It names no one involved.
The numbers
| 2020–2024, fatal crashes | Oklahoma City | Norman |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes involving a pedestrian or bicyclist | 140 | 11 |
| Pedestrians killed | 128 | 9 |
| Bicyclists killed | 15 | 2 |
| Crashes within ¼ mile of a public school | 12 | 1 |
| Crashes within ½ mile of a public school | 52 | 2 |
| …of those, on a school weekday (Aug–May) between 7–9 a.m. or 2–5 p.m. | 5 | 0 |
| Crashes in the dark (FARS light condition) | 109 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA FARS, Oklahoma (2020–2023 final files; 2024 Annual Report File); crashes whose FARS city is Oklahoma City or Norman.[1] "Within ½ mile" uses 403 public schools in Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian, McClain and Pottawatomie counties from NCES.[2] School hours are an approximation set by Facts First; FARS does not record whether a crash was on a school trip, and its school-zone field was not marked for any of these crashes.[1]
By year
| Year | Oklahoma City | Norman |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 27 | 3 |
| 2021 | 27 | 3 |
| 2022 | 32 | 3 |
| 2023 | 27 | 1 |
| 2024 | 27 | 1 |
Schools with two or more fatal crashes within half a mile
| School (NCES name) | City | Fatal crashes within ½ mile |
|---|---|---|
| SANTA FE SOUTH TRINITY ES | Oklahoma City | 4 |
| JEFFERSON MS | Oklahoma City | 3 |
| SOUTHERN HILLS ES | Oklahoma City | 3 |
| ADAMS ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| BUCHANAN ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| GREENVALE ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| HILLCREST ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| HILLDALE ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| PRAIRIE QUEEN ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| SANTA FE SOUTH PENN ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
| THELMA R. PARKS ES | Oklahoma City | 2 |
A crash can be within half a mile of more than one school, so these counts overlap. By the FARS roadway field, the roads that appear most often among crashes near schools include SW 59th St. (4 crashes) and NW 10th St. (3 crashes). 6 other roads appear twice each, including N Meridian Ave., S Western Ave., NW 23rd St. and S Shields Blvd.[1]
What the city has adopted
The Oklahoma City Council adopted the city's Vision Zero Action Plan on Feb. 25, 2025. The city says the plan analyzes its roadways and recommends strategies toward eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries, and that adoption makes the city eligible to apply for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All implementation money.[3][4]
A new state law, HB 2979, takes effect Nov. 1, 2026.[7] When a local government asks, it requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to set up a school zone with a maximum speed of 45 mph on a stretch of state highway that meets any one of three conditions:[7]
- the highway has four or more lanes and runs directly next to the school's property;
- the highway is posted at 65 mph or more, has no grade-separated off-ramp or frontage road giving access to the school, and runs directly next to the school's property; or
- the highway's center line is less than 150 yards from the school's property line.
The lower limit applies when the zone's beacons are flashing, at drop-off and pick-up times and any other hours the school sets and the department approves. The local government pays to maintain and operate the signs and equipment once the zone is built. The law covers public and private schools that teach any grades from kindergarten through 12th.[7] News 9 included the bill in its list of new laws.[6]
What this does not show
- Only fatal crashes. FARS covers crashes where someone died within 30 days. Crashes where a child or adult walking or biking was injured are not in FARS. Oklahoma's statewide crash records with injury detail are not published in a bulk, downloadable form that identifies pedestrians, so they are not included here.
- Distance is not cause. A crash within half a mile of a school was not necessarily connected to the school or to students. Many of these crashes happened at night and on major roads and highways.
- 2025 and 2026 are not included. The 2024 data come from NHTSA's 2024 Annual Report File, which NHTSA says is subject to change when the final file is released; 2020–2023 are final files.[8]
- City is the FARS city field. Facts First did not check each crash's location against city limits.
- Interstate and highway crashes are included, such as crashes on I-240 and I-44, even though people walking or biking are usually not allowed on them.
- Map points are approximate. Each dot was moved 150 to 350 meters from the FARS coordinates so the map does not pinpoint where anyone died. Distances in the tables use the original FARS coordinates.
- Only public schools. Private schools are not in the NCES public school list used here.
Sources
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024 national CSV files (accident, person, pbtype): https://www.nhtsa.gov/file-downloads?p=nhtsa/downloads/FARS/
- National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Public School Locations, 2024–25: https://services1.arcgis.com/Ua5sjt3LWTPigjyD/arcgis/rest/services/Public_School_Locations_Current/FeatureServer/0
- City of Oklahoma City, "OKC City Council adopts Vision Zero Action Plan," Feb. 26, 2025: https://www.okc.gov/News-articles/OKC-City-Council-adopts-Vision-Zero-Action-Plan-to-improve-roadway-safety
- City of Oklahoma City, Vision Zero Action Plan: https://vision.okc.gov/vision-zero/vision-zero-action-plan
- News 9, Oct. 29–30, 2026: child struck near NW OKC school; teen bicyclist injured; Tecumseh child hit
- News 9, "New Oklahoma laws taking effect Nov. 1, 2026," Oct. 30, 2026: https://www.news9.com/oklahoma-politics/new-oklahoma-laws-november-1-2026
- Oklahoma Legislature, Enrolled House Bill 2979 (2026), Sections 1 and 2: https://www.oklegislature.gov/cf_pdf/2025-26%20ENR/hB/HB2979%20ENR.PDF
- NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Annual Report Tables (notes on the 2024 Annual Report File): https://cdan.dot.gov/tsftables/tsfar.htm
- Basemap: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).