Using data compiled by the Texas Department of Transportation, the recently released 2016 mobility report from Houston-Galveston Area Council shows a 14 percent rise in the number of vehicle crashes in the Houston region.
Vehicle crashes and injuries increased last year when compared to data from 2015, according to a report from the Houston-Galveston Area Council.[/caption]In addition, 2016 saw a 46 percent increase in the number of crashes involving vehicles and pedestrians, and a 34 percent increase in the number of crashes involving bicycles and vehicles, according to the report.
Buses and trains were not immune from the rise either, with 2016 seeing a 15 percent increase in the number of collisions involving a bus and a 5 percent rise in the number of railroad crossing accidents, according to the report.
All those accidents resulted in 20,025 serious injuries, a 7 percent increase from 2015, the report shows.
The increases come as the number of miles driven in the region increased only slightly—2 percent from prior years, according to the report.
The average time it took to clear a traffic accident ticked up 2 percent as well, rising from 31.9 minutes in 2015 to 32.5 minutes in 2016, according to the report.
The costs associated with all those crashes came to $6.4 billion, an 8 percent increase from 2015, the report shows.
