Updated Statistics on Texas Car Accidents 2024

Millions of Texans drive daily to go to work, school, or run personal errands. Unfortunately, some people don’t arrive at their destination safely because of accidents caused by various factors, including aggressive drivers, poor weather conditions, or fatigue. It helps to look at some of the most recent statistics available regarding Texas car crashes, which are currently from the full year of 2022. 

When you think of car accidents, your mind probably goes to the common dangers on the road. After all, every driver knows to be wary of drunk drivers, slippery roads, and careless red-light runners. If you are in a crash and suffer injuries, always seek help from a car accident attorney.

Updated Statistics on Texas Car Accidents

For instance, in 2022, 244,092 people sustained injuries in motor vehicle crashes. There were also 4,481 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes compared to 4,497 deaths recorded in 2021.

In a nutshell, one person dies every hour and 57 minutes, with one person sustaining an injury every 2 minutes and 9 seconds.

Consider speaking to a trusted Austin injury attorney about your legal rights if you’ve sustained an injury due to someone else’s fault.

Fatalities Texas Car Accidents

• The fatality rate on Texas roads in 2022 was 1.55 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles traveled.
• There were 828 pedestrian fatalities in 2022, a 0.24% increase from 2021.
• 636 people died in head-on collisions in 2022.
• There were 2,304 fatalities in rural traffic accidents, which accounted for 51.42% of the state’s traffic fatalities.
• In 2022, 1030 people died at intersections or intersection-related incidents.
• In 2022, 2 crashes resulted in 6 or more fatalities.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

In 2022, there were 1,163 people fatalities related to driving under the influence offenses, representing 25.95 of people who died in motor vehicle crashes. This is compared to 2021, when at least 728 motor vehicle crash fatalities involved drivers who had committed a driving under the influence offense.

In 2022, 527 of the fatally injured drivers had blood alcohol concentration(BAC) levels of 0.08% and above.

In 2022, more DUI-related crashes occurred between 2:00 am and 2:59 am than any other hour of the day. In addition, more crashes occurred on Saturday than any other day of the week.

Distracted Driving Statistics

Distracted driving is a real menace on Texas roads and takes many forms. Among the highest-risk distractors include grooming, texting, eating and drinking, adjusting a music player, or using an electronic device.

In 2022, approximately 1 out of 6 crashes on Texas roads occurred due to distracted driving, resulting in 487 fatalities and 2,824 severe injuries.

Nationally, an estimated 27% of car crashes involve handheld or hands-free cell phone use.

Speed-Related Crashes

In 2022, Austin County recorded 2 fatal crashes related to speeding offenses, with 43 resulting in suspected minor injuries.

Weather Conditions During Crash

In rural roads, fog was observed in 1022 crashes, and rain was present in 12,656 crashes. In urban areas, snow was present in 679 crashes.

Human Error: The Common Cause for Auto Accidents

While crashes happen for various reasons, research points out that most accidents occur because of human error. Therefore, the following mistakes often lead to crashes that end in injuries or fatalities:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving (especially when  texting)
• Running a red light
• Drunk driving

Therefore, drivers need to take seriously the need to drive defensively. When filing personal injury claims in Texas, claimants most often cite reckless driving by another party. Moreover, the number of safety courses taken for defensive driving has declined.

A Reduction in Safety Enrollments

The latest plunge took place from 2019 to 2020. About 399,000 defensive driving courses were completed in Texas in 2020, compared to around 552,000 courses in 2019. Experts estimate that about 344,000 defensive driving courses will be completed during 2022, a drop of about 200,000 courses when compared to 2018.

This type of information does not bode well for the driver on the road in the Lone Star State, especially when you look at the number of crashes and defensive driving courses completed over time. For example, 539,081 defensive driving courses were completed in Texas in 2018. This resulted in crashes numbering 3,318 during that year.

Compare those numbers to the expected 344,000 courses that are estimated to be completed in 2022, with 4,100 auto fatalities projected for the year.

The National Safety Council supports defensive driving information and training, stating that it keeps drivers safer and decreases the risk of traffic violations and crashes. The Texas Department of Insurance also backs this stance, stating that defensive driving enables drivers to prevent the roadway hazards that lead to wrecks.

How to Drive More Defensively

Defensive safety experts recommend that drivers can further protect themselves by:

• Respecting other drivers on the road
• Staying focused at all times
• Yielding when necessary
• Planning for extreme or bad weather conditions
• Planning ahead to determine possible safety threats and acting accordingly
• Learning the rules of the Texas highway system

So far, in 2022 (June), in Texas, the state has had 3,602 deaths from traffic accidents, with fatal crashes numbering 3,305. That’s a sobering thought, as the state leads the nation in fatal car accidents thus far.

Moreover, the leading cause of death in the U.S. are vehicular accidents. Plus, these accidents take different shapes and forms – including side-impact collisions, single and multiple vehicle accidents, and head-on crashes.

Nevertheless, the reasons for the accidents all originate from reckless driving (speeding, intoxication, distracted driving), auto defects, or bad weather conditions.

Why Driving is Getting Dangerous in Texas

To glean a better understanding of Texas auto accident statistics, it helps to review the facts that the Texas Department of Transportation provides. To see the seriousness of this “crisis” in Texas, you only have to see the stats for yourself.

Therefore, it helps to look at the most recent data gathered for 2021. During 2021, 1.56 deaths occurred in Texas for every one hundred million miles traveled. This represented about a 4% increase from the previous year. The most recent death toll (recorded in 2021) was 4,489, which was an increase of just over 15% from the approximately 3,900 deaths recorded in 2020.

In 2021, 15,764 crashes involving serious injuries occurred in Texas, with 19,448 people receiving life-changing trauma and wounds. Traffic fatalities in rural areas of Texas accounted for about 51% of the deaths occurring on the roadways.

What the Latest Statistics Reveal

Here is a further rundown of the crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries on the highway, provided by the Texas Department of Transportation in  its  latest statistical data (for 2021):

• Single vehicle crashes, where the vehicle ran off the road, led to 1,550 deaths
• People killed at intersections or in intersection-related fatalities numbered 1,037
• People killed in head-on crashes amounted to 613 individuals
• Texas did not see a fatality-free day on its highways and roadways in 2021
• The deadliest day on the road in 2021 was Friday, October 22 – 27 people were killed in traffic crashes on that date
• August was the deadliest month – 418 people were killed in traffic accidents
• Based on the crashes reported, 1 person was killed almost every 2 hours over the course of the year
• Based on crash data, about 46% of the victims were not wearing any type of restraint when they were killed
• Reports show that 239,539 people were injured in traffic incidents for the year
• Motorcyclists (drivers and passengers) numbered 521 fatalities
• Forty-five percent of motorcyclists killed were not wearing a helmet
• Auto-related pedestrian fatalities numbered 2021, an approximate 15% increase from the previous year
• Drivers under the influence of alcohol contributed to 1,077 fatalities, which amounted to 24% of the total number of people killed in auto accidents in Texas
• Most alcohol-related mishaps occurred between the hours of 2:00 am and 3:00 am, happening mainly on Sunday
• People killed in auto crashes due to distracted driving numbered 433 – approximately a 17% decrease from 2020

Why Accidents Commonly Happen in Texas

To ensure that you stay safe on the road, you also need to think about what leads to the most accidents. Taking extra care while driving will help you avoid the major causes of crashes, including the following behaviors:

• Speeding – take extra time to get to where you’re going
• Not paying attention to the surroundings or the other drivers
• Swerving in and  out of lanes
• Merging when it’s unsafe
• Failing to yield when making a left-hand turn

From the data offered by the Texas DOT, the above infractions occur quite often, with speeding leading to well over 100,000 accidents per year. Distracted driving, or not paying attention while operating a vehicle, triggers about 95,000 accidents annually, while swerving, merging, and failing to yield, leads to over 30,000 crashes each per year.

Who to Call About a Car Accident Claim in Texas

In Texas, you only have two years to file a personal injury claim that results from the negligence of another party in an auto accident where you get injured or a loved one was killed.

Recovering from an injury related to a car accident will negatively impact your finances, productivity, and relationships. You, therefore, deserve representation from an experienced attorney who’ll aggressively fight for a fair settlement value.

TK Injury Lawyers is a team of highly skilled attorneys with decades of experience representing injured victims.

To learn more about your options, call TK Injury Lawyers now. Contact us online or at (512) 910-2000 to set up a consultation as soon as possible.