Texas Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this year, the Texas Department of Transportation released a report highlighting the statistics concerning Texas motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2014. Unfortunately, the rate of traffic fatalities rose by almost 4% from the previous year, with a total death toll of 3,534.
In addition, some 13,675 serious injury crashes happened in 2014 in the state of Texas. As a result of the accidents, over 17,000 people sustained serious injuries.
Fatal Accidents
The ratio of rural versus urban area fatal crashes was roughly split, with about 56% of fatal accidents occurring in the rural areas of Texas. In terms of car accidents, the deadliest days were January 1 and April 19. These two days accounted for 23 deaths. The worst month was October, with that month claiming 351 lives. Tragically, there was not a single day in 2014 on which a death did not occur somewhere on the roadways of Texas. There were two accidents that claimed at least six lives each.
About 40% of motor vehicle fatalities occurred when a single vehicle ran off the road, and 1,384 deaths happened in this manner. Trailing not far behind were accidents involving driving under the influence, which accounted for 1,041 deaths (29% of all Texas traffic fatalities). Not surprisingly, the most common time for a DUI-related traffic fatality to occur was between 2:00 and 3:00 am and on a Saturday.
Another 823 people lost their lives in wrecks that occurred at or near an intersection, and 581 fatalities resulted from head-on wrecks. Distracted driving claimed 483 lives, up 4% from 2013. Distracted driving usually involves texting, but it can also include other electronics usage, grooming, or adjusting the radio.
On average, someone died about every two and a half hours on Texas roadways in 2014, and someone was hurt every two minutes, 13 seconds. A reportable traffic accident happened almost once every minute (every 66 seconds, to be exact). In all, close to a quarter of a million people were involved in traffic accidents, although fortunately not all of them were injured.
Other Statistics
In addition to car, truck, and SUV accidents, there were fatalities involving motorcyclists (463), pedestrians (486), and pedacyclists (50). About half of the motorcyclists were not wearing helmets. Interestingly, the only category that saw a decrease in fatalities was that of pedestrians. It is unclear as to whether this was due to the fact that fewer people are out walking these days, favoring their cars to their feet as a mode of travel, or whether there was actually an increase in safety for pedestrians.
To Talk to a Texas Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a family member is among those included in these troubling statistics, you owe it to yourself to discuss your accident with an experienced Texas car accident attorney. Even if you were involved in a single-vehicle accident, there could be a possibility of recovering money damages if, for instance, a defect in your automobile caused or contributed to the crash. To schedule an appointment, call the Tyler law offices of Earl Drott at 903-531-9300 to discuss your Texas car accident case.
Related Blog Posts
Texas Court Reviews Request for Death Benefits in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident
Texas Wrongful Death Laws Out Of Step With 21st Century Society