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Texas car accident statistics

Nearly 3,500 Texans die in car accidents each year — five times the national average

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Texas is known for its belt buckles, big trucks, Texan pride — and now infamously as the deadliest US state for driving. The Lone Star State sees both the highest number of fatal car crashes and people killed, based on 10 years of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Texas car accident death statistics

Annually, 3,478 people die in car accidents across the Lone Star State, higher than any other state in the US. Texas also sees the highest number of fatal crashes each year.

Both fatal crashes and the number of people killed have risen by 20% across 10 years, based on data from the NHTSA Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool.

YearPeople killed in car accidentsFatal car accidents in Texas
20193,6153,294
20183,6483,311
20173,7323,352
20163,7973,427
20153,5823,190
20143,5363,190
20133,3893,047
20123,4083,033
20113,0542,790
20103,0232,746
Total34,78431,380
Average3,478.43,138

21- to 25-year-olds die in car accidents more than any other age group

Many people are killed in Texas car accidents during the prime of life. Twenty-one to 25-year-olds are the most likely to die in car accidents..

This age group sees 38% more car accident deaths than 16- to 20-year-olds and 81% more deaths than 41- to 45-year-olds.

Age groupPeople killed in car accidents, 2019People killed in car accidents, 2010-2019
1-549474
6-1045423
11-1568632
16-202993291
21-254294535
26-303973581
31-353162988
36-403052567
41-452282503
46-502132487
51-552532579
56-602602317
61-652051862
66-701661325
71-751341002
76-80108868

Men die more than twice as often in car crashes than women

The reputation that men are more of a risk on the road holds true in Texas. In 2019, 1,588 more men died than women on Texas roadways.

The ratio of deaths between genders remains steady across 10 years too. About 2.5 times more men die in car crashes each year compared to women.

GenderTotal deaths, 2019Total deaths, 2010 – 2019Average deaths per year
Male2,60124,8902,489
Female1,0139,882988.2
Unknown1121.2
All genders3,61534,7843,478.40

Texan drivers hit 655 pedestrians in 2019

Not every Texan pays attention to their surroundings on the road — an unfortunate fact that costs lives. In 2019, about 18% of Texans killed in car accidents were pedestrians, making 2019 a deadlier year than most.

Historically, 5,379 pedestrians were killed from 2010 to 2019, averaging 538 pedestrians each year.

Texas drunk drivers involved in 39% of state’s fatal crashes

In Texas, nearly 40% of fatal crashes involve someone driving with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08. Also, despite roadways with already high speed limits, Texans like to drive even faster. One-third of all Texas’s fatal accidents involve speeding.

Nationally, 26% of fatal crashes involve speeding and 28% involve drunk driving.

Violation/driver errorFatal accidents, 2010-2019% of Texas fatal accidents% of US fatal accidents
Speeding10,20933%26%
Drunk driving (Blood alcohol content of .08 or higher)12,33239%28%

Texas motorcycle accidents account for 448 of fatal crashes each year

About 12% of Texas’s fatal crashes were motorcycle accidents in 2019, totaling 409 deadly motorcycle accidents. Over 10 years, 4,483 fatal motorcycle accidents happened from 2010 to 2019.

The NHTSA doesn’t give the exact number of motorcyclists who die in crashes. However, fatal crashes probably correlate with motorcyclist deaths because bikes offer much less protection for riders than cars do.

The 10 deadliest cities for driving in Texas

If you’re driving in Texas, take extra care when getting around in Houston. Houston is home to the deadliest roads in Texas, with fatal crash totals over 40% higher than any other city.

Houston also sees ten times the fatal crashes as Amarillo, which is the tenth-deadliest city in Texas.

RankMost dangerous citiesFatal accidents, 2010-2019
1Houston2087
2Dallas1495
3San Antonio1403
4Fort Worth759
5Austin710
6El Paso552
7Corpus Christi272
8Arlington247
9Lubbock247
10Amarillo202

Urban vs. rural: Two-thirds of Texas fatalities happen near a city

Roadways near major Texas cities are deadlier than in its rural plains. In 2019, 2,020 fatal crashes happened near a city, compared to 1,269 in rural areas.

Historically, the difference between the landscapes is closer. From 2010 to 2019, 17,624 fatal crashes happened near a city, while 13,690 happened in the countryside.

Safest cities for driving in Texas

Over 200 Texan cities have reported one fatal car accident spanning 10 years from 2010 to 2019. See whether your community ranks as one of the safest cities for driving in Texas.

Late evening is the deadliest time to drive in Texas

The deadliest hours for driving in Texas are the hours between 8 p.m. and midnight. During the late evening, 723 deadly accidents happened in 2019, a number higher than usual.

Over a 10-year span, Texas averages 664 fatal crashes during the same hours.

Time of dayHoursFatal accidents, 2019Fatal accidents, 2010-2019
Overnight12:00 midnight to 3:59 a.m.5585863
Early morning4:00 a.m. to 7:59 a.m.4794570
Late morning8:00 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.3773489
Afternoon12:00 noon to 4 p.m.5154797
Early evening4 p.m. to 8 p.m.6426015
Late evening8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.7236640

Saturday is the riskiest day on Texas roads

The riskiest days on the road happen after Texans clock out for the weekend. Saturday gets the brunt of serious accidents with 5,804 over 10 years.

Sunday historically rang in as the second-deadliest day for driving, although Friday took that spot in 2019.

Day of weekFatal accidents, 2019Fatal accidents, 2010-2019
Sunday5245354
Monday4253939
Tuesday3963654
Wednesday4223819
Thursday4213949
Friday5344861
Saturday5725804

October is the most dangerous month for driving in Texas

October trends as the deadliest month for Texans to drive with nearly 2,900 fatal crashes over 10 years.

November and July follow, likely because of family gatherings and people traveling for vacation during these months.

MonthFatal accidents, 2019Fatal accidents, 2010-2019
January2482441
February2282228
March2612587
April2842573
May2722689
June2712631
July2862715
August2732620
September2842584
October2922896
November2852749
December3102667

Cloudy skies connected to 18% of Texas fatal accidents

Cloudy skies are the biggest instigator of deadly weather-related crashes in Texas. In 2019, cloudy weather led to 600 deadly crashes, making up 18% of all Texas’s fatal accidents. From 2010 to 2019, an average of 521 fatal crashes happen each year due to cloudy conditions.

Rain is another top cause of weather-related crashes, leading to 2,062 fatal accidents over 10 years.

The majority of deadly crashes involve one vehicle

The deadliest kind of accident in the Lone Star State is a single-vehicle crash. Crashes with one vehicle led to 1,773 fatal crashes in 2019, accounting for 54% of all Texas’s deadly crashes that year.

Across 10 years, single-vehicle crashes total 17,463, making up 56% of all deadly car accidents.

Number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes20192010-2019
Single vehicle1,77317,463
Two vehicles1,24711,560
More than two vehicles2742,357

Methodology

We used the NHTSA’s Fatality and Injury Reporting Tool to compile information about fatal car accidents and the people killed in car accidents in Texas. We compared data from 2019 as well as data spanning 10 years from 2010-2019.

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