Traffic fatalities are down, but not in DFW.
Bad habits like speeding, aggressive driving, and not using turn signals are just some driving behaviors contributing to what government officials are calling "alarming" statistics. In North Texas, overall traffic fatalities are down 6 percent. Still, those numbers jumped in Dallas, Wise, and Collin counties, according to the 2022 Safety Program Performance Measures Report by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). The situation is especially dangerous in Collin County, where traffic deaths are up 51 percent over last year. State officials say the wave of new people moving to Texas from other parts of the country is increasing traffic and adding to risk. Drivers traveling on unfamiliar roadways are more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal car accident.
DFW crash statistics
Safety Performance Measure data revealed that since 2015, the region has not hit performance targets for safety improvement in the areas of fatal accidents and serious injury reduction. In general, the targets aim for a 50 percent reduction in the fatal accident rate by 2035 and a 2 percent year-to-year decrease in serious injury accident measures.
To meet these goals, the North Central Texas and the DFW regions had a target of no more than 572 traffic deaths in 2021. Instead, there were 614 crash-related deaths that year - 42 more fatalities than anticipated.
Meanwhile, the serious injury accident rate was 7 percent higher than the target, representing 272 more injuries reported than expected in 2021.
The situation may be getting worse. Locally, the year-over-year increase in deadly traffic accidents was evident:
- In Collins County, there were 51 traffic deaths in 2021 and 77 the next year - a 51 percent increase.
- In Dallas County, there were 354 deaths in 2021 and 355 the next year - a 0.28 percent rise.
- In Wise County, there were 21 deaths in 2021 and 23 the following year - a 9.5 percent increase.
However, some North Texas counties reported improvement, including Hunt County, which saw a 60.5 percent reduction in deadly crashes from 2021 to 2022, as well as Parker (down 46 percent) and Kaufman and Rockwall counties (down 30 percent each).
What happened to the plan?
The NCTCOG report didn't just quantify the problem; it examined contributing factors, as well. The study determined that some factors are becoming more common and contributed to more crashes in 2022 than in 2021. These include bad driving behavior, pedestrian accidents, unsafe lane changes, and driving the wrong way on a road. According to the NCTCOG, here are the top crash factors in North Texas:
- Speeding, unsafe speeds, failed to control speed, driving faster than the speed limit.
- Driver negligence, distracted driving, inattention, drowsy driving, tailgating (following too closely), driving without headlights, road rage.
- Impaired driving, DWI, drunk driving, drug-related driving, driving while high.
- Failed to drive in a single lane, stay in lane.
- Faulty evasive action taken by a driver.
- Unsafe lane changes.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- Crashes involving disabled vehicles in traffic.
- Wrong-way driving, driving on the wrong side, traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way road.
- Ill, medical emergency, medical issue.
Our car accident lawyers hold negligent drivers in Dallas accountable
There are about 5 injury-causing accidents in North Texas every hour, according to NCTCOG. The risk of suffering damages in a crash is higher in Dallas than in the rest of the region. The North Texas crash rate is 69.3 accidents per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The rate is 84.9 in Dallas County.
With increased risk, it is important for people in the DFW region to understand the rights Texas bestows on injured accident victims. Crash victims and the families of fatal crash victims have the right to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and other losses associated with the accident. But they must fight to get the compensation they deserve.
At The Marye Law Firm, P.C., we take this burden off accident victims as our experienced car accident lawyers fight aggressively for the best results possible. If you were injured or a loved one died in a Dallas-Fort Worth area car accident, schedule a free case evaluation with our law firm. We will listen to the details of what happened, answer your questions, and help you decide what to do next. There is no obligation to hire us, just information you can trust. Contact us today to review your potential legal options.
