Why do so many fatal auto accidents occur in Texas?
Texas recently marked a grim milestone – the 23rd anniversary of the last day without a fatal car accident in the state.
"Each life lost means a family, neighborhood and community are impacted for a lifetime, and we take safety very seriously as we work to end this horrible streak," Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Executive Director Marc Williams said in a release published by KXAN News. "But it's going to take all of us working together to get this done."
Texas fatal crash statistics
It's a sad fact that Texas has not witnessed a day without a traffic-related fatality since November 7, 2000, as reported by KXAN News. Sadly, the trend of rising car accident fatalities in the state continues year after year.
In recent times, Texas experienced two of its deadliest years on record in decades - 2021 and 2022. These two consecutive years marked a tragic milestone, with 4,498 fatalities in 2021 and 4,496 in 2022. These figures stand out as the only instances in over a decade where Texas recorded over 4,000 car accident fatalities in a single year.
This unsettling data, sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Texas Department of Transportation, underscores the alarming rise in Texas roadway fatalities. To put it in perspective, the record-high death toll in 2021 was 31.9 percent higher than a decade prior when Texas witnessed 3,408 fatalities in fatal car accidents in 2012.
Negligence is a common factor in fatal car wrecks
Several common contributing factors consistently cause car accidents in Texas. These common causes include:
- Speeding, which is the leading contributing cause of at least 1 out of 3 fatal car accidents in Texas each year.
- Drunk driving, which causes more than 40 percent of fatal car crashes in Texas.
- Distracted driving, especially texting while driving, which causes more than 10 percent of car accident fatalities in Texas.
- Aggressive driving, including running a red light, changing lanes without warning, and failure to yield.
What's being done to prevent car accidents in Texas?
TxDOT has a 10-year, $17 billion plan designed to make Texas' roads safer. According to KXAN News, this plan includes:
- Widening pavement stripes from four to six inches wide, which TxDOT says "improves visibility and can inadvertently encourage drivers to slow down."
- Increasing the buffer between double yellow lines and adding rumble strips on undivided highways to help prevent drivers from crossing the center line.
- Building more roundabouts since many fatal accidents occur at traditional four-way intersections.
- Encouraging more drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts since not being properly restrained is one of the most common contributing factors in car accident fatalities.
Grieving families can get justice with John
Wrongful death claims involving fatal crashes can become complicated legal cases. Sometimes, the driver who caused the collision denies doing anything wrong. Other times, the at-fault driver's insurance company uses tactics to reduce or deny liability, such as blaming the victim or offering a lowball settlement.
Whatever the circumstances of your case, John R. Solis, Attorney at Law, can help you find the best way forward. John knows the state and federal laws that apply to motor vehicle accidents in Texas. He knows which legal strategies can be the most effective in wrongful death claims. That's why he has a strong track record of successful outcomes for his clients.
Learn more about your legal options. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Laredo car accident attorney you can count on to aggressively advocate for your family's best interests.