Crash fatalities are trending upward, according to Laura Ryan, commissioner for the Texas Department of Transportation. Ryan said over 3,300 Texans died in fatal crashes from Jan. 1-Oct. 20.
But change is possible, according to TxDOT officials.
On Oct. 20, the agency launched its #EndTheStreakTX campaign, which was created to raise awareness about traffic deaths and the dangerous practices that can lead to crashes.
Overall traffic crashes fell by nearly half in 2020, as social gatherings were limited and many Texans stayed home after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Yet traffic fatalities still increased—3,893 people died on Texas roads in 2020, compared to the 3,623 deaths the year prior, TxDOT data showed.
According to the agency, drivers were more likely to take risks on empty roads, and crashes were 1.5 times more likely to be deadly. Fatalities continued to spike in 2021, with 4,436 deaths recorded.
Ryan said the pandemic began with a “lack of connection,” which evolved into a “lack of caring” about other people on the road.
“If we truly understood the feelings of friends that have lost friends and mothers and daughters and sons, and we really felt the feelings of putting a loved one in the ground and never seeing them again—I think that would create a path to caring that might make us change what we do when we're behind the wheel,” Ryan said during an Oct. 20 news conference.
Ryan said it is important for drivers to recognize that the choices they make on the road impact other people, not just themselves.
The top contributing factors in fatal crashes are distracted driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and drowsiness, Ryan said. Distracted driving can come in many forms, she explained: eating, doing makeup, using a cell phone, picking something up off the floor, turning to talk to a passenger and more.
One crash per minute
On average, one crash is reported every 66.5 seconds, according to TxDOT data. People report injuries from crashes every 2.2 minutes, and fatalities every 2 hours and 32 minutes.
TxDOT hopes to cut traffic fatalities in half by 2035 and bring them to zero by 2050, Ryan said. The agency has asked drivers across the state to do their part by following traffic laws, keeping an eye out for hazards, making safe decisions behind the wheel and working to keep other people safe.
Crash-related injuries are highest for Texans ages 25-34, with over 1.3 million injuries in that age group from 2017-21, TxDOT reported. This age group was involved in 3,987 fatal crashes from 2017-21.
“We have to be a part of the solutions and not part of the problems,” Ryan said.
