With a large population come traffic accidents, and the Lone Star State sits at the top of the list in the total number of accident fatalities – in 2021 alone, Texas saw 4,480 traffic fatalities, putting it on the apex of that heap. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas was in the top 10 in the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, something of an alarming statistic when taking into consideration a myriad of factors.
What’s the cause for all these accidents and subsequent fatalities? Let’s take a look at some factors contributing to the high instances of traffic accidents and how you can stay safer on the roads.
Not Following the Speed Limit
At the top of the list is, as somewhat expected, motorists simply not adhering to speed limits. Since as far back as 2020, driving at an unsafe speed was the biggest contributing factor to car accidents in the state of Texas, with 140,958 crashes having been reported that year due to either driving too fast or too slow. Out of those instances, 1,272 were fatal while 49,890 resulted in serious injuries.
Reckless and Distracted Driving
Diver error is attributed to most accidents and distracted, or reckless driving are some of the most common missteps taken behind the wheel. This has become a major issue everywhere, what with the proliferation of people refusing to put their mobile devices down while trying to keep their eyes on the road, but reckless/distracted driving has nevertheless contributed to a major number of vehicle accidents in Texas. There are a number of ways in which an accident of this type can occur, from failing to yield and tailgating to evasive action, phone usage and disregarding lights/stop signs.
Maintaining or Changing Lanes
Staying in one’s lane or changing lanes caused an eye-opening 77,202 car accidents on Texas roads as of last count, and this is due to everything from changing lanes without checking for oncoming vehicles to swerving into adjacent lanes or using passing lanes in an unsafe manner.
DUI
Driving under the influence – or driving while intoxicated – wreaks havoc on roadways all over the world, unfortunately, but it has caused a total of 26,418 car crashes in Texas alone. And while it’s not the biggest factor contributing to automobile accidents, it is one of the deadliest at 1,162 fatalities.
Aggressive Driving
This has also become a major problem on our roadways, ramping up over the decades until reaching something of a breaking point as of late; aggressive driving can be seen in the same light as road rage, wherein commuters are cutting off other vehicles or even blocking others from passing. In Texas, this has caused 20,376 crashes and the numbers, unfortunately, keep rising.
The Defensive Measure Factor
So how can car accidents be avoided on Lone Star State roadways? Although some accidents may simply be out of our control, others can be avoided by taking a few commonsense safety precautions. The following tips were collated with Texans in mind, but they apply to driving on the roads and highways all across America – the key at the heart of all this is defensive driving is you can assume another driver is going to be acting erratically and be prepared for anything.
- Follow posted speed limits
- Avoid distractions such as using your phone or other devices
- Never drive after consuming drugs or alcohol
- Use caution and signals when changing lanes or making turns
- Avoid driving when you are tired
The bottom line is that many different circumstances can contribute to car wrecks in Texas, including inclement weather conditions and wet or icy roads, yet the vast majority of them are caused by someone’s negligence in one form or another.