Texas Ranks Among Deadliest States For Freeway Driving
Texas is notorious for its roadways. Before I moved to Texas, I knew how bad traveling through the state could be, and I had heard plenty of horror stories. A new study shows those stories were more than people just being dramatic.
A new study was recently released, and it names Texas as one of the deadliest states for freeway travel. Sadly, it's not really that big of a surprise.
What Makes Texas One Of The Deadliest States For Freeway Travel
According to the study, which was done by H&P Law, Texas finds itself near the top of the list when it comes to deadly freeway travel. The good news is that we aren't at the top. The bad news is that we ranked 10th.
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They looked at data collected from 2018 to 2022 by the United States Department of Transportation, and they found that Texas had over 1,000 fatal crashes on freeways during that period.
They also found that Texas had a total of over 18,000 fatal crashes. The freeway crashes accounted for a little over 5% of the total crashes and led to the high ranking of the Lone Star State.
Fatal Crashes In Texas Are A Long-Standing Problem
Everyone in Texas is familiar with the #EndTheStreak campaign. You see it everywhere when you travel through the state. The whole point of the campaign is to get Texas to go one day without a fatal crash on Texas roads.
The campaign started on November 7, 2000. Since then, the Texas Department of Transportation has basically been pleading with Texans to do better.
Distracted driving continues to be a major problem on Texas roads. Cellphones are constantly a source of distraction, pulling drivers' attention away from the road. Drunk driving is also an ever-present problem. Both of them are easy to fix.
If you drink, don't drive. Get a ride from a designated driver or any of the multiple rideshare apps. Don't text and drive, talk on the phone and drive, or mess with your phone at all while driving. Use hands-free.
We can do better in the Lone Star State. This latest study is a reminder that we must.