Have Texas highways now become ‘death’ roads? Here’s what TxDOT fatality data tells us
.jpg "A sunny morning on Texas Highway 171 in Cresson, Texas, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021")
On Boxing Day, six people, including two children, were killed and three others injured in a two-vehicle crash in Johnson County.
“Please say a prayer for the families of the deceased and injured. Also, please pray for our Deputies, Troopers and all other first responders working this accident. It’s a devastating scene and very emotional for all involved,” The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post.
U.S. 67, the site of the wreck, is known for its fatal crashes. With only two lanes, the highway is dangerous to travel on as traffic volumes increase.
“It’s just constant,” Mac Bone, a business owner in Glen Rose, told the Star-Telegram about the crashes, injuries and fatalities near her home. “It’s death after death after death.”
How many fatal crashes have happened on Texas highways?
The fatality rate on Texas roadways for 2022 was 1.55 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles traveled, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. This is a 1.99% decrease from 2021.
Texas experienced a decrease in the number of motor vehicle traffic fatalities in 2022 compared with 2021. The 2022 death toll of 4,481 was a decrease of 0.36% from the 4,497 deaths recorded in 2021. Of those fatalities, 1,702 occured on highways.
There were 4,037 fatal crashes in 2022, 1,484 of which happened on highways.
The death toll on Texas roadways was much lower just a decade ago, with 1,064 fewer deaths. In 2012, 3,417 deaths were recorded.
What’s causing the fatal crashes in Texas?
Ten people are killed every day on average on roads in Texas.
“Texans can play a major role in ending fatal crashes with a few simple driving habits: wearing seatbelts, driving the speed limit, not texting or being distracted, and never driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” TxDOT says.
According to TxDOT data, the leading cause of fatalities is failing to drive in a single lane, followed by being under the influence of alcohol, and failing to control speed. Unsafe speed, a pedestrian failing to yield right-of-way to a vehicle, being under the influence of drugs, speeding and driver inattention were other common causes.
