Chapter 2. – The Traffic Safety Problem

To avoid crashes, the defensive driver should:

1. Stay alert and keep their eyes moving so that they can keep track of what is happening around them at all times.

2. Look for trouble spots developing all around them.

3. Have a plan of action if the other driver does the wrong or unexpected thing.

4. Know that the law requires drivers to protect each other from their own mistakes.

THE NATIONAL SAFETY PROBLEM

U.S. traffic deaths fell 3.6% last year (2023), but still, 40,990 people were killed on the nation’s roadways, as compared to 42,514 in 2022. This translates to an average of 3,749 deaths per month or about 123 daily.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was the second year in a row that fatalities decreased. The agency also released final numbers for 2022, saying that 42,514 people died in crashes.

The most common causes of car accidents include:

1. Distracted Driving. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today.
2. Speeding. Speed kills and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident.
3. Drunk Driving. Driving under the influence of alcohol causes car accidents every day, even when they are one of the top causes that can be avoided.
4. Reckless Driving. Reckless driving is a moving violation in which a driver displays a disregard for the rules of the road
5. Rain. Car accidents happen very often in the rain because water creates slick and dangerous surfaces for cars, trucks, and motorcycles
6. Running Red Lights. Drivers that run red lights, run the risk of causing wrongful death because they often cause side-impact collisions at high speeds.
7. Running Stop Signs. Each year, thousands of car accidents occur because one driver ran a stop sign. Many rollover accidents and side-impact car accidents result from drivers that run stop signs.
8. Teenage Drivers. When teen drivers hit the road, they don’t always know what to do and that lack of experience ends up causing car accidents.

What’s the deadliest day to drive?

1. Memorial Day. Surprisingly, Memorial Day is one of the most dangerous holidays to drive.
2.  Labor Day. The second deadliest holiday to drive is Labor Day.
3.  Independence Day.
4.  New Year’s Eve.
5.  Thanksgiving.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 are more likely to be involved in car accidents than drivers from any other age group.

Tesla drivers are the most accident-prone, according to a LendingTree analysis of 30 car brands. It found that Tesla drivers are involved in more accidents than drivers of any other brand. Tesla drivers had 23.54 accidents per 1,000 drivers.        Dec 18, 2023

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 21,153 large trucks were involved in fatal and non-fatal accidents in 2023. 803 people lost their lives, and 10,544 suffered minor to serious injuries.                                       Dec 14, 2023

Motorcycles are high-risk motor vehicles. According to NHTSA (U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), motorcycles are more likely to be involved in accidents than cars. Bike crashes are 28 times as likely to be fatal as passenger car accidents.

Over the past decade, fatalities have risen by 20% while death rates have skyrocketed by 27%. In 2023 the number of motorcycle fatalities stands at 5,579, and the rate is at a concerning 31.64 per 100 million vehicle miles.

13 of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents are:

1. Left-hand turn accidents
2. Unsafe lane changes
3. Speeding
4. Dooring
5. Head-on collisions
6. Alcohol use or other DUI
7. Lane splitting
8. Sudden stops
9. Inexperienced or novice motorcycle riders
10. Dangerous road conditions
11. Hitting fixed objects
12. Motorcycle defects
13. Inexperience with high-performance motorcycles

Top Causes of Motorcycle Accidents on the Road

Some of the leading causes and compounding factors of motorcycle crashes include:

1. Weather
2. Rider Age
3. Traffic
4. Speeding
5. Alcohol
6. Lack of Licensing & Experience
7. Reckless Riding
8. Lack of Antilock Brakes

Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. The percentage of those using a helmet increased significantly from 2021 to 2022. Helmet use for this group increased from 76.9 percent in 2021 to 92.1 percent in 2022.          Aug 31, 2023

Wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle, scooter, bicycle or any motor driven open air vehicle. HELMETS ARE LIKE SEAT BELTS; BY THE TIME YOU NEED THEM, IT’S TOO LATE TO PUT THEM ON.

Beginning in the mid-1990s, all states have adopted graduated licensing systems, which phase in full driving privileges. National studies of graduated licensing found that strong laws were associated with substantially lower fatal crash rates and substantially lower insurance claim rates among young teen drivers covered by the laws. Strong restrictions on nighttime driving and teen passengers, as well as raising the licensing age, reduced rates of fatal crashes and insurance collision claims.

The national estimate of seat belt use by adult front-seat passengers in 2023 was 91.9 percent, a record high although not statistically different (at the 0.05 level) from 91.6 percent observed in 2022. Unrestrained vehicle occupants are more likely than restrained occupants to be fatally injured in a crash, so belt use is much lower among fatally injured occupants.

Front seat belt use decreases the risk of fatal injuries by 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50 percent for passenger car occupants. If you’re riding in a pickup truck, your risk of death goes down by 60 percent and your risk of injury goes down by 65 percent when you wear your seat belt.

Of the 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2021, over 50% were not wearing seat belts.

Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45 percent in a passenger car and 60 percent in a pickup truck.

Non-fatal injuries from motor vehicle accidents cost Americans $220 billion in medical bills, loss of quality of life and lost wages in 2021.

Of men and women who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, 54 percent of men were not wearing seat belts compared to just 42 percent of women.

Significant life-saving vehicle technologies like electronic stability control (ESC) have begun to penetrate the vehicle fleet. ESC would save 5,300 to 9,600 lives and prevent 156,000 to 238,000 injuries in all types of crashes annually once all light vehicles on the road are equipped with ESC.

Top Crash Contributing Factors in America

The Top Causes of Car Accidents on the Road

20 of the most common causes of car accidents include:

1. Distracted Driving. Distracted drivers are the top cause of car accidents in the U.S. today.
2. Speeding. Speed kills and traveling above the speed limit is an easy way to cause a car accident.
3. Drunk Driving. Driving under the influence of alcohol causes car accidents every day, even when they are one the top causes that can be avoided.
4. Reckless Driving. Reckless driving is a moving violation in which a driver displays a disregard for the rules of the road
5. Rain. Car accidents happen very often in the rain because water creates slick and dangerous surfaces for cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
6. Running Red Lights. Drivers that run red lights, run the risk of causing wrongful death because they often cause side-impact collisions at high speeds.
7. Running Stop Signs. Each year, thousands of car accidents occur because one driver ran a stop sign. Many rollover accidents and side-impact car accidents result from drivers that run stop signs.
8. Teenage Drivers. When teen drivers hit the roads they don’t always know what to do and that lack of experience ends up causing car accidents.
9. Night Driving. Driving in the daylight can be hazardous, but driving at night nearly doubles the risk of a car accident occurring.
10. Design Defects. Automobiles have hundreds of parts, and any of those defective parts can cause a serious car accident.
11. Unsafe Lane Changes. When drivers don’t make safe lane changes properly, it often leads to a car accident.
12. Wrong-Way Driving. When you go the wrong way, everyone is in danger because as you head towards a car accident.
13. Improper Turns. The reason that we have stop lights, turn signals, and lanes designated for moving either right or left as opposed to straight is because when drivers ignore the rules of the road, car accidents are often the result.
14. Tailgating. Many fatal car accidents have occurred when a motorist dangerously tailgated another driver at high speeds. You can prevent these car accidents by giving using the 4 second rule.
15. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs. It’s not only alcohol that is dangerous when mixed with drivers on the road. Drugs, both legal and illegal, can impair your ability to fully function as a driver.
16. Ice. Ice is a major cause of car accidents for cities with cold weather climates.
17. Snow. Like ice, cities with cold winters know all-too-well just how dangerous snow can be for commuters.
18. Road Rage. By tailgating another driver in anger or speeding past another driver only to pull in front of them and brake, these road “ragers” cause many needless car accidents each year.
19. Potholes. Drivers run the risk of losing control of their car or blowing out a tire when they drive over potholes.
20. Drowsy Driving. Driver fatigue isn’t talked about a lot, but how well can we expect anyone to drive when they’re having trouble staying awake. Most of the car accidents caused by drowsy driving occur at night.

TEXAS SAFETY PROBLEM

Overall, there were 3,367 more accidents reported in 2023 than in 2022. That is less than a 1 percent increase in the total number of crashes. There were 555,586 accidents in 2022 and 558,953 accidents in 2023. That translates to:

• 1,531 accidents per day in Texas in 2023
• 46,579 accidents per month.
• 10,748 accidents per week.

That is just over one accident per minute in Texas in 2023.

There were no deathless days on Texas roadways in 2023.

It has been 23 years since a day went by without a traffic fatality in Texas.

Saturday, September 9th was the deadliest day in 2023 with twenty-five (25) persons killed in traffic crashes. June and August were the deadliest months with 390 persons killed.

Based on reportable crashes in 2023:

• One person was killed every 2 hours 3 minutes.
• One person was injured every 2 minutes 6 seconds.
• One reportable crash occurred every 56 seconds.

In 2023, there were 4,283 fatal car crashes in Texas, compared to 4,407 in 2022. That is a 2.81% reduction in fatal car crashes, even while the population increased by 1.6 percent.

The Fatality Rate on Texas roadways for 2023 was 1.45 deaths per hundred million vehicle miles traveled. This is a 4.10% decrease from 2022.

Fatalities in traffic crashes in rural areas of the state accounted for 52.84% of the state’s traffic fatalities. There were 2,263 deaths in rural traffic crashes.

In 2023 there were 1,120 people killed in crashes occurring in intersections or related to an intersection.

There were 635 people killed in head-on crashes in 2023.

250,335 persons were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023.

While even a single death is one too many, a reduction in fatal crashes is at least a step in the right direction. Advanced safety features in modern vehicles, combined with highway improvements and increased education, have contributed to the reduction of traffic fatalities across Texas.

And while fatalities decreased, the number of people injured in vehicle accidents increased in Texas. In 2023, 250,182 people were injured in vehicle accidents, compared to 244,325 the year before. That is 5,857 more injuries from motor vehicle accidents in Texas in 2023 than in 2022. That is an increase of about 2.3 percent, slightly more than the increase in population in Texas over the same period.

There were 15,219 serious injury crashes in Texas in 2023 with 18,752 people sustaining an injury.

The analysis of the 2023 car accident statistics in Texas offers critical insights.

• Houston Leads in Total Accidents: Houston reported the highest number of car accidents at 65,931, reflecting its status as a high-traffic urban area.
  Highest Accident Rate: San Antonio had the highest accident rate per 100,000 people at 2,743, indicating a significant road safety challenge.
  Dallas and Injury Accidents: Dallas stood out with 9,728 injury accidents, underscoring the need for safety measures in the city.
  Fort Worth’s Lower Accident Rate: Fort Worth recorded a lower rate of accidents at 1,416 per 100,000 people, suggesting effective traffic management or safer driving behavior.
  Austin’s Low Fatal Accident Rate: Austin had the lowest rate of fatal car accidents per 100,000 people, at 0.009%, pointing to possibly safer road conditions or effective emergency response.

In 2023, Texas faced a high number of car accidents. The total number reached 550,873. This includes various types of accidents.

• Injuries: There were 166,867 accidents with injuries.
• Property Damage: 47,535 accidents caused property damage but no injuries.
• Fatalities: Sadly, 4,124 people died in these accidents.
• Fatal Accidents: There were 3,727 fatal accidents.

These numbers show the risks on Texas roads.

Remarkable Reduction in Alcohol-Related Accidents in Texas in 2023

Drunk driving crashes are a serious problem in Texas, but fortunately, we are seeing a downward trend – especially in alcohol-related fatalities. In 2023, 3,547 people died in alcohol-related accidents, compared to 4,756 the year before, despite a 1.6 percent increase in population. This represents a 25.4 percent reduction in alcohol-related accident deaths in 2023.

Alcohol-related crashes overall were down, as well. In 2023, there were 23,844 alcohol-related crashes, compared to 24,951 the year before. That is 1,107 fewer alcohol-related accidents, representing a 4.4 percent decrease.

During 2023, more DUI – Alcohol crashes were reported in the hour between 2:00 am and 2:59 am than any other hour of the day. Also, more of these crashes occurred on Sunday than any other day of the week.

Motorcycle Accidents Increased in Texas in 2023

In 2023, there were 278 more motorcycle accidents than the year before, representing a 3.3 percent increase. There was also an increase in motorcycle accident fatalities – with 54 more fatalities in 2023, compared to 2022, which is a 7.7 percent increase.

599 motorcyclists (operators and passengers) were killed in 2023. forty percent (40%) of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

Two people (2.92) will die on Texas roads during the time it takes to complete this class. 5.80 people will be injured and 1000 crashes will be reported.

Of all persons killed in vehicles where restraint usage was applicable and usage was known in 2023, 48.89% were reported as not restrained when the fatal crash occurred.

Pedestrian fatalities totaled 807 in 2023. This is a 0.98% decrease from 2022.

Pedalcyclist fatalities total 105 in 2023. This is a 15.38% increase from 2022.

In 2023, there were 1,090 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol. This is 25.45% of the total number of people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes.

In 2023, there were 403 people killed in crashes involving distracted driving. This is a 17.25% decrease from 2022.

There were no fatalities caused by bridge collapse in 2023.

Single vehicle, run-off the road crashes resulted in 1,368 deaths in 2023. This was 31.94% of all motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2023.

According to the TXDOT, the five contributing factors of motor vehicle crashes on Texas roads were:

 Crash Contributing Factor*

All Crashes

1. Failed to Control Speed (135,737)
2. Driver Inattention (83,726)
3. Unsafe Lane Change (49,410)
4. Failed to Drive In Single Lane (44,290)
5. Failed to Yield ROW – Turning Left (36,509)

Fatal Crashes

1. Failed to Drive in Single Lane (787)
2. Under Influence – Alcohol (582)
3. Pedestrian Failed to Yield ROW to Vehicle (523)
4. Unsafe Speed (505)
5. Failed to Control Speed (495)

Suspected Serious Crashes (Incapacitating Injury)

1. Failed to Control Speed (3009)
2. Driver Inattention (1,979)
3. Failed to Drive in a Single Lane (1,923)
4. Other (1,682)
5. Unsafe Speed (1,473)

Possible Injury Crashes

1. Failed to Control Speed (22,932)
2. Driver Inattention (11,508)
3. Failed to Yield ROW – Turning Left (6,946)
4. Failure to Yield ROW-Stop Sign (5,993)
5. Changed Lane When Unsafe (5,372)

Non-Injury Crashes

1. Failed to Control Speed (88,451)
2. Driver Inattention (55,004)
3. Changed Lane When Unsafe (39,472)
4. Other (30,550)
5. Failed to Drive in Single Lane (26,777)

Unknown Severity Crashes

1. Failed to Drive in Single Lane (4,626)
2. Failed to Control Speed (4,474)
3. Driver Inattention (3,590)
4. Other (2,785)
5. Not Applicable (2,019)

* The data in this report represents the number of crashes that had at least one driver reported as having the indicated contributing factor. Crashes can have none or multiple contributing factors. Therefore, the total number of crashes for this report will not equal the total number of crashes statewide.

People who drive at unsafe speeds are a major hazard, particularly on freeways and expressways.

This does not necessarily mean that these people are driving too fast. They may be driving under the posted speed limit, yet still too fast for existing weather or traffic conditions.

Aggressive driving is now referred to as road rage. You really never know who is in the car that is behind you or in front of you. You may just be impatient but the other person may have had a bad day and is looking for just the right person to take it out on – don’t let it be you.

It sounds frivolous to call a distracted driver a cause for an auto accident but how many times did you hear of someone say they were just changing the radio station, or they just reached over to pick up something that had dropped to the floor? It doesn’t take a SUV full of screaming kids to distract you from the road; it can also be the simplest of things.

There is nothing worse than being tired and trying to drive. If this happens to you, don’t be a hero. Get off the road and take a nap. The worst part of being a drowsy driver either from being tired or as a result of medication is that you don’t even know that it is happening, it just does and you can’t stop it. Even a half an hour to an hour of rest can prevent an irreversible tragedy that you will have to face for the rest of your life.

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