Texas Ranks At the Bottom in Road Safety

Rankings from WalletHub show that Texas ranks among the least safe states for road safety. Using a variety of measurements, they ranked states based on overall safety and on various subcategories.

Texas ranks 47th in overall safety and 43rd in road safety. Both rankings are concerning, but the poor road safety creates a daily risk for Texans.

How Texas was scored in terms of road safety

When ranking each subcategory, WalletHub considered a specific set of stats and weighed them according to their scoring system. These stats were: traffic indiscipline, fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles travelled, DUI’s per capita, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities per capita, road quality, and driving laws.

Considering Texas’s poor ranking, this means drivers face a much greater risk each time they hit the road than those in nearly every other state. Motorists are much more likely to encounter drunk drivers, bicyclists are more likely to be killed, and all road users are likely to encounter more unnecessary risks.

In a separate report, Texas ranked first in “States for Drivers,” but the ranking was carried by economic factors for cost of ownership, access to vehicles, and maintenance. Texas ranked 23rd in “Safety” and 21st in “Traffic and Infrastructure.” Because of Texas’s relatively favorable weather and lack of ice, the ranking was likely hindered by heavy traffic and poor road conditions.

When focusing on teen drivers, the state fares better but still has room for improvement. Overall, Texas is ranked 10th ranks it as above average for safety and driving laws, coming in at 22nd and 13th respectively. This safety ranking is largely decided by the number of teen fatalities and teens engaging in risky behaviors like driving under the influence and distracted driving.

In the event that you’ve been injured in a traffic accident, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and suffering. For over a decade, Chad Jones Law, P.C. has been handling complex car accident cases in the Bryan-College Station area, Waco and throughout Texas. If you or someone you know was hurt or killed in an accident, contact us today for a free consultation.