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Written by TK Injury Lawyers, reviewed by Trent Kelly on March 26, 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.
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.
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 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.
In 2022, Austin County recorded 2 fatal crashes related to speeding offenses, with 43 resulting in suspected minor injuries.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Defensive safety experts recommend that drivers can further protect themselves by:
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.
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.
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):
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:
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.
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 qualified attorneys with decades of experience representing injured victims of car accidents. To learn more about your legal options, call us at (512) 910-2000 to set up a consultation as soon as possible.
Trent Kelly obtained his law degree from the University of Arkansas in 2007. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and regularly assists clients with their legal matters. Trent’s practice is primarily focused on personal injury matters – particularly those involving motor vehicles (such as cars, commercial trucks, 18-wheelers, and motorcycles) and wrongful death – but he also handles various business litigation matters as well. Click here to take a look at some complex cases Trent has resolved.
Years of experience: +15 years
Location: Austin, TX
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney Trent Kelly, who has more than 15 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney.
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