Dallas Tops the List of Most Dangerous Driving Cities in Texas

In a study published late last month, Aceable completed its analysis of the 2018 data on driving in Texas. The results of the survey are surprising – while Dallas claims the unfortunate title of the most dangerous driving city, the neighboring suburb of Allen comes in as tied for the safest!

Both Allen and The Woodlands (a suburb of Houston) boast an extraordinary zero fatality record for 2018. These two cities are stand-alone in reaching our state’s overall long-term goal of 100% deathless days on our roadways.

Here at Thompson Law, we feel for the victims of Dallas’ increasingly risky roads. We see firsthand the devastation that can occur in the form of injuries, loss of property, and even death from traffic accidents.

Our mission is to do all we can for our clients in the aftermath of a wreck. Sourcing treatment, fighting for maximum rightful compensation, and providing guidance regarding property loss are all important services that we provide to clients who have been injured in an accident.

Statistics on the Dangers of Driving in Texas

• An average of 10 people perish every day on Texas roadways, and this has been true for nearly two decades.
• Dallas has the fifth-highest rate of fatal traffic accidents compared to the US’s other 25 largest cities.
  • This fatality ranking was based on the rate of fatalities per 100,000 residents (i.e., Dallas had 14.42 deaths per 100,000 residents).
• Frisco ranked as the 3rd safest city, with a fatality rate of 1.59 per 100,000 residents.
  • This is an 806% lower probability of deadly accidents compared to the City of Dallas.
• Allen and The Woodlands each had zero fatalities.
• Despite Houston having a million more people than Dallas, it ranked 14 places below Dallas in the latest per capita reporting.

Driving in North Texas: A Mixture of Risky and Safe Driving

Dallas was not the only city of concern however. Many nearby North Texas enclaves bumped up in the rankings: Fort Worth sits at 4th most dangerous, Denton at 7th, Mesquite at 16th, Lewisville at 17th, and Carrollton ranked 19th. Other regions in our state including Houston, San Antonio, and Austin also ranked on the most dangerous end of the scale.

On the other hand, we do have some cities with safer rankings in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Frisco, Plano, and Irving fared very well on the safe list. These cities have newer roads and signage, in addition to generally well-designed and well-maintained infrastructure. They are also less constrained by the crowding that is stressing infrastructure in other parts of North Texas. The practices and investments in urban planning, design, and maintenance illustrated by these cities clearly pay off in lives saved.

Texas as a whole was a bit of a mixed bag as well in terms of driving safety. On the one hand, there were no crashes that resulted in 6 or more deaths in 2018. However, there were also no deathless days on Texas roadways. The Texas Department of Transportation’s #EndtheStreakTX campaign is aimed at achieving zero fatal days, as Texas has not experienced this phenomenon since November 7, 2000.

If we do not end the streak by this year’s November 7th anniversary, that will have been 7,305 consecutive days of roadway fatalities. The impact of this crisis is felt by all of us, and we cannot afford to wait for changes.

Common Causes of Traffic Accidents in Dallas, TX

Dallas may be unique in its most dangerous city for driving ranking right now, but the causes of the accidents that occur there are common. The same culprits for wrecks and other serious traffic incidents strike across the state and across the nation, with notable and common causes being:

• Drunk and Drugged Driving
• Drowsy Driving
• Distracted Driving
• Outdated Infrastructure
• Speeding
• Driver Error (particularly lane change error)
• Cell Phone Use
• Unfamiliarity with Roads
• Aggressive Driving
• Merge Error
• Red Light Running
• Failure to Yield
• Poor Visibility (nighttime or weather conditions)

What Comes Next for Dallas Drivers?

Dallas is working to reduce the number of traffic fatalities with multifaceted plans that include roadway design initiatives and educational campaigns. Some of the plans that the city and our state have in mind for improvements include:

• As part of the previously mentioned #EndtheStreakTX campaign, TXDOT will be spending over $600 million more for various roadway improvements from 2020 to 2022.
  • These safety works will be aimed at the goal of having ZERO deaths on Texas roads in 2050.
  • The interim milestone is geared toward halving the number of deaths by 2035.
• Additionally, the City of Dallas has its own similar initiative: Vision Zero aligns with the wider state goal of zero deaths.
  • The city is actually even more ambitious, aiming to achieve the zero fatalities goal by 2030.
  • With infrastructure, education, policing, and other factors to consider, and in light of the recent shift to first place most dangerous, Dallas seems to be facing new hurdles to meet these goals.

Commendable as the plans are, with the rate of accidents and the serious nature of resulting injury and damage, we are left to wonder – will these efforts be enough? Or will they be too little too late?

Injured in a Car Accident in Dallas, TX? Hire Thompson Law to Help

Has a Dallas car, motorcycle, or truck accident derailed your life? While serious wrecks may be happening more and more frequently in Dallas, this doesn’t mean you deserve to suffer the consequences alone.

When you hire a tough and experienced car accident law firm like ours, you improve your ability to stand up to the insurance companies and at-fault drivers who wronged you. Don’t delay! You deserve compensation for the bills, stresses, pain, and suffering that resulted from your accident. Thompson Law is here to help you recover what is rightfully yours!

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