The traffic death toll in Dallas has already surpassed last year’s total, with more than two weeks left in 2024, according to an analysis of Texas Department of Transportation data by NBC 5 Investigates. So far this year, 207 people have died in crashes on Dallas streets, compared to 205 in 2023. On Friday, city and state leaders held a news conference to update plans to address safety concerns on the city’s deadliest roadway: Loop 12. For another year, Loop 12 earned that unwanted title with 21 fatal crashes this year alone. “Five years, my friends. Citywide, nearly 500 accidents involving serious injury have taken place on Loop 12,” said State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) at a news conference at Dallas City Hall. L-R: Dallas interim Chief of Police Michael Igo, Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold and Texas Sen. Royce West. West stepped forward to address the concerns on Loop 12 earlier this year, on the heels of an NBC 5 investigation that identified systemic dangers on the loop. Dangers include high speeds, an outdated roadway design, and a lack of safe places for pedestrians to cross the street. In one spot near Loop 12 and Bonnie View Road, NBC 5 Investigates found five pedestrians had died in less than a year. The death toll at that location has since increased to seven. “The information that was provided by your station helped us focus with laser certainty on trying to get something done and bringing together the city, the state,” West said in an interview with NBC 5 Investigates. In the wake of NBC 5’s reporting, West pulled together TxDOT, the City of Dallas and the North Texas Central Council of Governments. They have pledged to install more than a dozen new protected pedestrian crossings on Loop 12 over the next 18 months. The city and state also lowered the speed limit on the loop and installed bold new speed signs, even speed limit numbers painted on the pavement. They have also promised to re-examine the road’s design to help address the high speeds. Dallas police joined West at Friday’s news conference. Interim Chief of Police Michael Igo revealed the city is using new software to identify stretches of road where speeds are too high. Dallas interim Chief of Police Michael Igo. “It’s based on GPS tracking and it monitors those vehicles that are going through those areas,” said Igo. When the software flags a speed danger zone, police can deploy additional officers to that location to conduct speed patrols. It’s really given us some good feedback on areas we needed to address,” Igo said. Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn Arnold said Friday that she is seeking help from other regional law enforcement agencies to assist Dallas police with controlling speeds on Loop 12.  “We are reaching out to all law enforcement and public safety partners to help us in this corridor,” Arnold said. Meanwhile, the city is also pleading with drivers to help reduce speeds and deaths. Igo said drivers would notice an increased speed enforcement presence on Loop 12, and he urged people to call 911 to report extreme speeds and erratic driving. ”I’m encouraging everybody to slow down because you will see police officers on that stretch of the road,” Igo said.  DRIVEN TO DEATH driven to death Nov 2, 2023 Dallas traffic death rate worst among 10 largest U.S. cities driven to death Nov 6, 2023 Dallas plan to cut traffic deaths rolls slowly years after council OK'd ‘Vision Zero' driven to death Nov 7, 2023 Dallas City Council members question lack of progress on ‘Vision Zero' traffic safety plan driven to death Nov 8, 2023 Can a Canadian city be a model for Dallas when it comes to road safety? driven to death Nov 9, 2023 Experts question if high speed limits and bad road designs add to Dallas traffic deaths driven to death Nov 17, 2023 With speed the leading cause of Dallas traffic deaths, where are the police? Dallas Jan 30 $500M Dallas transportation bond proposal devotes less than 2% to ‘Vision Zero' road safety plan Dallas Dec 13, 2023 One dangerous Dallas street will get a ‘road diet' with federal funds Dallas Jan 31 Dallas council members question ‘minimal' Vision Zero road safety funding in bond plan Fort Worth Feb 6 Fort Worth fatal crashes up 31% in five years as city talks ‘Vision Zero' driven to death Feb 6 Dallas intersection where NBC 5 highlighted pedestrian dangers gets a new crosswalk driven to death Feb 7 Draft traffic study suggests major changes to slow speedy drivers on Ferguson Road in far East Dallas driven to death Feb 14 Five pedestrians killed in 11 months on less than a mile of Loop 12, prompting calls for change driven to death Feb 16 State senator pledges action after NBC 5 investigation highlights deaths on Loop 12 driven to death Feb 20 Dallas ‘Vision Zero' road safety progress questioned at city council briefing driven to death Feb 21 ‘It could have killed someone' Dallas residents beg for protection from dangerous drivers on NW Hwy driven to death Feb 28 Dallas Dept. of Transportation misses deadlines for responding to road complaints thousands of times driven to death Feb 29 Dallas residents hear city's plan to address traffic dangers on Ferguson Road driven to death Mar 27 DART considers moving bus stops to areas safer for pedestrians driven to death Apr 3 Dallas City Council questions how to accelerate road safety plan traffic May 1 Could your phone help save you from a wrong-way driver? Fort Worth May 15 Fort Worth streets identified as dangerous years ago are still among the most deadly Dallas May 22 Triple-digit speeds on Central raise concerns about expressway turned speedway driven to death Aug 28 Dallas considers lowering speed limits on city's deadliest road Dallas Sep 6 Passenger in car that hit & killed student on E. Ledbetter Drive/Loop 12 charged with murder: DPD driven to death Sep 8 Dozens of 'emergency' traffic safety changes planned for Loop 12 driven to death Sep 11 Dallas lowers speed limit on Central Expwy after NBC 5 Investigates reveals extreme speeds driven to death Sep 25 Headed ‘to the pokey.' DFW-area police warn extreme speeders of possible arrest driven to death Sep 30 Crash injuring six children highlights Loop 12 danger zone again driven to death Oct 3 Speed limits drop on Loop 12, Central Expressway headed into Downtown Dallas driven to death Oct 15 New safety measures planned for deadliest street in Dallas