What Cities in Texas Have The Most Car Accidents?
Car accidents are some of the most debilitating events that can happen to a person in Texas. They involve multi-ton machines careening at each other or at inanimate objects, often at high speeds and with the need of a car accident lawyer. Cities in Texas are uniquely susceptible to large numbers of accidents due to their size and sprawl. But many of these accidents could be prevented by simple changes that a person can make to the way that they drive and the policies that they support. Taking these simple steps can reduce the likelihood of car accidents and needing a car accident attorney even in the state’s most dangerous cities to drive in.
Factors for high car accident rates
A number of factors help to influence the presence of high car accident rates and an auto accident lawyer in a city. The most prevalent factor is simply the size and population of the city. More cars means more traffic and higher accident rates. If there are more people driving, there is a greater chance that someone will have a lapse in judgment or a mechanical failure that causes an accident.
Another factor to consider in a state like Texas is the period in which the state’s cities grew substantially. Many northeast cities had their most productive periods during the times in which streetcars and subways were the most popular ways that people moved from the suburbs to the urban core. Cities like Hartford, New York, and Philadelphia often have large public transit systems that keep the numbers of cars, highways, and accidents relatively low per capita. There is still traffic, but decades of public transportation development absorbs a large number of potential travelers.
On the other hand, the cities in the Sun Belt like those in Texas had much of their growth in the auto age. Their solution to growth was not subways but highways. A large percentage of their population lives outside of the downtown core, which is mainly devoted to shopping and offices. While these factors are beginning to slowly shift, it is still the case that these cities need massive highways and the cars, accidents, and demand for an auto accident attorney that comes with them.
Highest accident rates in Texas
The city with the highest accident rate in Texas is Houston with more than 65,000 accidents just last year. This rate means that over three percent of the city’s population is subject to a car accident every year. Such a large percentage makes car accidents a major public health concern. It is also an interesting aspect of life in the state’s largest city.
Houston is famous across the nation for its massive traffic jams and its large numbers of cars. The highways are famous for their massive size. There are highways with fifteen to over twenty lanes on them that are still full of traffic every day. A new highway project will reduce traffic in the city for a brief period of time, only to attract more drivers and create almost more gridlock than had existed before. Houston is trying to invest more in public transit and a system that connects people with trains downtown. Some of those trains are well-known, such as the ones that park at stations suspended over bodies of water. But they have not had the level of investment and ridership required to substantially cut down on the amount of traffic and the number of accidents in the city.
Size is the primary consideration for cities with the most car accidents in Texas. It is no surprise, therefore, that the city with the second most car accidents is the state’s second largest city, Dallas. The story of car accidents in Dallas is somewhat similar to that of Houston. Dallas is another massive city that is primarily built on roads and highways. It is not as famous for large highways as Houston is, but it also does not have the same level of public transportation. The equivalent to the METRO system in Dallas is the DART system. This system is a combination of buses, light rail, and commuter rail. Many cities that rely on a combination of different transit options like Dallas have a smaller number of average riders and are not as effective at reducing traffic.
The size factor influences all of the other most dangerous driving cities in Texas. The next few cities on the list, like San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth, are the other largest cities in Texas. San Antonio is an interesting example. Unlike Houston it is best known for the massive river that runs through the center of town and the Alamo. These attractions are located downtown and bring a large number of shops, restaurants, and convention centers to that area. But San Antonio is also still a large city with a massive downtown area and ring of suburbs. As a result, it still has an expansive network of highways and some of the highest rates of car accidents in the state. Austin has a similar situation with its university and government buildings. These buildings would seem to bring more people downtown to live in apartment buildings and take transit, but size is still the predominant factor.
Ways to reduce accidents
There are a number of steps that cities such as Houston can take to reduce the accidents they have to endure. They can make changes to their urban architecture in order to allow for greater visibility and protect pedestrians. A large number of fatal car accidents involve pedestrians who are at the mercy of drivers when they are standing on the corner or crossing the street. A handful of basic changes can help to ensure that these individuals can see cars coming from around corners and can allow them to stop before it is too late.
In addition to these policy changes, drivers need to take steps that will reduce the chances of an accident. There are a number of things they can do every time that they drive that will reduce the chances of an accident. The simplest and most helpful step they can take is to simply slow down. Speed is the leading factor in determining how serious an accident will be. Always leaning towards driving slower can greatly reduce the damage that an accident may cause even if one is involved in an accident.
Next, a driver can make sure to take defensive maneuvers. These maneuvers involve deferring to other drivers and keeping in mind lapses in judgment that those other drivers might make. For instance, a driver can let another driver through an intersection if the determination on who goes is a judgment call. Drivers may also take an extra look before going through an interception or may wait patiently through a yellow light.
Finally, drivers need to put themselves in a position where they are less likely to take dangerous actions. They need to be careful to always leave early for events and be aware of traffic levels when they are about to leave the house. Leaving early ensures that a person is less likely to speed because they are late for an engagement. It takes away any incentive they may have had to break the law and put themselves in danger. It can also be safer to take major highways to different locations rather than rural roads. While more highway driving leads to more traffic, highway driving is structured in a way that reduces decision-making among drivers and therefore reduces the number of accidents.
What to do for victims
Anyone who is subject to a car accident needs to take action to immediately ensure that they are safe and not in any further harm from the accident. They need to ensure that their car is out of the road and not subject to other drivers. If they are injured, they need to take immediate action to be treated and reduce the potential future impact of their injury.
Once a car accident victim has secured their vehicle and their own health effects from the accident, they should contact their insurance company and review the facts of the case. If they believe there are any mistakes or deliberate actions involved from the other side, they should definitely hire a lawyer for car accidents or a truck accident attorney for their case. An attorney for car accidents will help them figure out if there are any other parties at fault for the accident. This step may be necessary if the financial damages or health burdens from the accident are substantial. They may be able to ensure that the other party is able to provide just compensation for what a car accident has been forced to endure.
Car accidents do not have to define a person’s life. In a state like Texas, they are likely to happen. Drivers need to be prepared for the possibility of an accident and take steps to reduce that possibility, while also being ready to hire a car or truck accident lawyer if needed. They also need to make sure they are doing what they can to keep a maximum of cars off the road whenever possible. Taking these simple steps will help a Texas driver do what they can to reduce the horrific scourge of car accidents.