Safety Tips for Texas Roads

Safety Tips for Texas Roads

The Lone Star State’s highway system ranks #16 in the country in cost-effectiveness and driving conditions. Unfortunately, on the other hand, Texas ranks in the bottom 15 across the country for worst traffic and urban car accident fatalities. Our state has one death for every 100 million urban miles driven. This is even higher than California, which has a rate of 0.80 fatalities per 100 million miles, and more than double peer state Montana, which rates at 0.42 fatalities. 

Anyone injured on Texas roads should discuss their rights with a car accident attorney today. 

Driving Safety Procedures in Texas

These safety tips are good anywhere, but in Texas, pay extra attention to them:

• Always Double Check. Sometimes we get lazy and follow the car in front of us into an intersection when a traffic light turns green. Don’t assume! Still look around at the intersection and continue checking as you pass through it. Remember to have a good “visual search pattern,” such as checking your rear-view mirror every few seconds. Look at more than just one car in front of you. What’s happening a block or two in front of you?
• Don’t Rely on What Other Drivers Are Seeing. Look for yourself. If you’re dovetailing on a freeway onramp, don’t assume you’ll get your rightful spot. You should still check your mirrors and be vigilant.
• Pull Over for Aggressive Drivers. When you see someone driving erratically, let them pass as soon as you can. If you’re not on the freeway, pull over so they can pass. If you are on the freeway, you can switch lanes to increase your space cushion between the aggressive driver and yourself.
• Maneuver Away from Inattentive Drivers. Is someone going 10 miles per hour below the speed limit? Had their blinker on for several minutes? This is an inattentive driver who is oblivious to surrounding conditions. Inattentive drivers can be just as dangerous as aggressive drivers, if not more so. Again, try to increase the space cushion between your car and this one by passing, using another route, or switching lanes.

Other Texas Traffic Safety Highlights

In addition to its proportionally high rate of roadway deaths, Texas also boasts a few other unfortunate statistics for motorists:

• Texas ranks #2 nationwide in structurally deficient bridges.
• Commuters in Texas spend over 23 hours in traffic each year…one of the worst rates in the US.
• Texas is rated #24 in overall spending per mile and #30 dollars spent on capital and bridge per mile.
• The things Texas was ranked worst for were urban traffic (10th worst in the country) and urban traffic deaths (also 10th worst in the nation).

Be Extra Careful in Dallas

Dallas has the most deadly roads in the entire state of Texas. It’s one of the top ten largest urban areas in the country. Even though two Texas cities are bigger than Dallas (San Antonio and Houston), Dallas has more deadly streets and worse drivers. In fact, Dallas ranks #2 in the country with the highest rate of traffic fatalities, a rate that has increased 80% in the last decade. The single most at-risk demographic in Dallas? The pedestrian. Walkers, bikers, and scooter riders are only 2% of those using the roadways and intersections, but they account for over 1/3 of traffic-related fatalities.

Car Crash? Call Pyle Law’s Auto Accident Attorneys Now!

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Kansas or Texas, Pyle Law can help. We have car accident lawyers standing by and ready to assist you with your claim. Contact Pyle Law today for a no-obligation consultation.