A recent study indicates that 2023 could be the deadliest year yet for auto accidents in Texas.
The analysis, conducted by Patino Law, a personal injury firm in San Antonio and McAllen, used data from January to September 2023 from the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.).
The study reveals a disturbing increase in total crashes, from 464,555 in 2022 to 468,850 in 2023, for the same period. Even more concerning is the 20% rise in fatalities, from 2,646 to 3,180.
TxDOT’s Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts has documented a steady increase in auto accident fatalities. In 2012, a fatality occurred every two hours and 34 minutes, which had decreased to one every one hour and 57 minutes by 2022.
Based on the 2023 data, the frequency of fatalities has increased to every one hour and 50 minutes. If this trend follows historical patterns, the year-end figures could surpass the average monthly fatalities of 370 recorded in 2022.
This escalating trend coincides with the second anniversary of TxDOT’s #EndTheStreakTX campaign, initiated in 2021 to address the daily occurrence of fatalities on Texas roads since November 7th, 2000.
A mock funeral held by TxDOT’s Pharr District on November 2nd, 2023, underscored the dangers of distracted and impaired driving. Speeding has been identified as the primary contributing factor to the rise in crashes for the year.
Dr. Louis Patino of Patino Law Firm commented, “This data presents a sobering reality and highlights the urgent need for change if we are to address the increase in accident fatalities and finally break the streak of no deathless days on our roads.
Initiatives can only achieve so much and government officials are not the only parties responsible. We all have our part to play as motorists, passengers, and pedestrians and must remember that our actions can have devastating consequences. It is far too easy to look at numbers and become detached, but we must never forget that every fatality represents a loss that leaves a permanent mark on the lives of families all across our state.”
The comprehensive study by Patino Law Firm also explores the most common vehicle types in accidents, dangerous roads and counties, and prevalent charges against drivers. The full Up-to-Date Guide to Auto Accidents in Texas guide is available on their website.
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