Houston Car Accident Statistics

Every year the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) collects data on car accidents for cities, counties, and the state as a whole. Unsurprisingly, Houston leads Texas in the overall number of crashes, as well as accidents involving fatalities and serious injuries.

The accident numbers in Houston for 2019 are:

• 240 fatal crashes
• 253 accident fatalities
• 1,200 suspected serious crashes
• 1,392 suspected serious injuries
• 5,357 non-incapacitating crashes
• 7,152 non-incapacitating injuries
• 15,329 possible injury crashes
• 23,470 possible injuries from accidents
• Total accidents in 2019: 68,682

Source: TXDOT, Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns 2019

Of course, Houston is not the only area of Texas with a high number of accidents involving serious injuries and fatalities. With more than half a million crashes reported in Texas last year, it is important to be aware of your rights if you are injured or lose a loved one in an accident.

The Houston car accident lawyers at Patrick Daniel Law can help you pursue compensation for injuries or wrongful death caused by a negligent driver. Please call (713) 999-6666 today for a free case review.

Accident Statistics in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties

In 2019, the counties in which Houston lies accounted for nearly 25 percent of the total number of accidents in Texas.

• Harris County: 113,525 total accidents
  • 418 fatalities
  • 46,641 injuries
• Montgomery County: 10,093 total accidents
  • 54 fatalities
  • 4,289 injuries
• Fort Bend County: 9,793 total accidents
  • 38 fatalities
  • 3,817 injuries

Although not all of these accidents occur in Houston proper, these statistics demonstrate the dangers of roads throughout the metro area, with nearby major cities such as Baytown (2,259 accidents), Conroe (2,229 accidents), and Sugar Land (1,554 accidents) all reporting significant numbers of crashes.

Source:

TXDOT, Crashes and Injuries by County 2019

Drunk Driving Accidents in Houston

Houston also leads Texas in the number of accidents involving driving under the influence. In 2019, there were 2,436 DUI crashes in Houston, resulting in 73 fatalities and 1,247 injuries. Harris, Montgomery, and Fort Bend counties reported a total of 4,332 DUI accidents.

A driver does not have to be legally intoxicated (i.e., has a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher) to be held liable for civil damages in an accident claim. In addition, the establishment that served the driver too much alcohol may be liable for damages through a dram shop liability claim.

Source:

TXDOT, DUI Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns 2019

TXDOT, DUI Crashes and Injuries by County 2019

How Do Houston Car Accidents Compare to the Rest of Texas?

Most TXDOT data is reported at the state level. Therefore, it is important to look at the statistics for Texas as a whole to get a sense of the dangers facing drivers in Houston and other areas.

Urban vs. Rural Roads

The majority of accidents in Texas happen on urban streets (422,575). Although these accidents result in more injuries (199,130), accidents on rural roads account for more fatalities (1,866 vs. 1,744).

Source:

TXDOT, Rural and Urban Crashes and Injuries by Severity 2019

Leading Causes of Accidents in Texas

The major factors in auto accidents vary by the type of road – urban or rural. The top 10 factors in urban road car accidents in 2019 were:

1. Failure to control speed: 108,429
2. Driver inattention: 68,090
3. Changed lane when unsafe: 34,343
4. Failure to yield when turning left: 27,308
5. Failure to drive in a single lane: 26,883
6. Failure to yield at a stop sign: 22,425
7. Following too closely: 21,340
8. Disregarding a stop and go signal: 17,652
9. Failure to yield in a private driveway or roadway: 15,859
10. Faulty evasive action: 14,024

The top 10 factors in rural road car accidents, meanwhile, are:

1. Failure to control speed: 33,593
2. Driver inattention: 18,477
3. Unsafe speed: 13,534
4. Failure to drive in single lane: 12,716
5. Changed lane when unsafe: 7,244
6. Faulty evasive action: 7,031
7. Failure to yield at a stop sign: 6,530
8. Wild animal on the road: 6,262
9. Failure to yield when turning left: 5,693
10. Driving under the influence of alcohol: 4,903

As you can see, some factors are significant contributors to accidents regardless of the type of road. Failure to control speed and driver inattention are leading causes of accidents on urban and rural roads.

Source:

TXDOT, Crash Contributing Factors 2019

Speeding and Auto Accidents

As you can see from the factors that contribute to accidents, speeding is a major concern throughout Texas. Speed-involved crashes claimed the lives of 715 people last year. The counties of Harris, Montgomery, and Fort Bend reported 88 fatalities in accidents involving speed, representing approximately one-eighth of the speed-related deaths in the state.

Source:

TXDOT, Speed Involved Crashes and Injuries by County 2019

Distracted Driving Accidents

Like other parts of the country, Texas has a significant distracted driving problem. Driver distraction was a factor in 97,782 accidents last year, resulting in 377 fatalities and 44,771 injuries.

Distracted driving accidents in the counties containing Houston totaled 14,566, with the following numbers of injuries and deaths:

• Harris County
  • 22 fatalities
  • 4,698 injuries
• Montgomery County
  • 5 fatalities
  • 594 injuries
• Fort Bend County
  • 1 fatality
  • 355 injuries

Source:

TXDOT, Distracted Driver Crashes and Injuries by County 2019

Light, Weather, and Road Conditions

The majority of accidents in Texas last year occurred during the daylight hours (383,161). Other than rain, inclement weather had little effect on crashes, with 501,710 crashes occurring when the weather was clear or cloudy. Overall, 85 percent of accidents in Texas (479,272) occurred on dry roads.

Sources:

TXDOT, Light Conditions for Crashes 2019

TXDOT,  Weather Conditions for Crashes 2019

TXDOT, Road Surface Conditions for Crashes 2019

Other Types of Motor Vehicle Accidents

Reports from TXDOT also focus on accidents, injuries, and deaths for specific types of vehicles, as well as people in crashes while on foot or riding a bike:

• Commercial Vehicle Accidents
  • Harris County:
    • 36 fatalities
    • 2,341 injuries
  • Montgomery County:
    • 4 fatalities
    • 301 injuries
  • Fort Bend County:
    • 1 fatality
    • 173 injuries
  • Statewide:
    • 613 fatalities
    • 15,141 injuries
• Pedestrian Accidents
  • 660 fatalities
  • 5,309 injuries
• Motorcycle Accidents
  • 410 fatalities
  • 6,264 injuries
• Bicycle Accidents
  • 68 fatalities
  • 2,292 injuries

In 2019, Texas did not have a single day without an accident. The deadliest month for car accidents was December. With this in mind, it is important for motorists in Houston and throughout Texas to be cautious in the coming weeks.

Sources:

TXDOT, Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Involved Crashes and Injuries by County 2019

TXDOT, Pedestrian and Pedalcyclist Injuries and Crashes 2019

TXDOT, Motorcyclist Fatalities and Injuries by Age Group and Helmet Use 2019

TXDOT, Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Facts Calendar Year 2019

Contact Our Houston Car Accident Lawyers Today

Auto accidents are a leading cause of serious injury and death in Houston and many other areas of Texas. Victims of serious injury may be entitled to significant compensation for their losses in a crash. Families who lose a loved one in an accident can recover damages through a wrongful death claim.

If you were hurt or lost a family member in a motor vehicle crash, contact our Houston car accident lawyers to begin building your case. Patrick Daniel Law is Strategic, Meticulous, and Merciless in pursuing the compensation you and your loved ones deserve.

Our car accident attorneys serve clients in and around Houston and throughout Texas. Please call (713) 999-6666 today for a free case review.