Houston Car Accident Statistics

Houston brings people from all over the area on to its streets. There are thousands of accidents reported each year and the number of accidents shows this. They range from the minor fender benders to multiple car pile-ups that involve fatalities. Let's look and see how these numbers stack up. In 2008, Houston saw 202 fatal car crashes. This was a bit higher than the 2007 number of 190. This is much lower than the 1990 number of 244. The largest spike in fatal crashes came in the early 1980's with numbers in the 400 area. The past couple of decades have leveled off with minor peaks and valleys each year. The number of vehicles involved in these accidents remains about 1.5 vehicles for each accident. This shows that about a quarter of the crashes involved a single car. Others involve multiple.
Drunk driving has changed over the past few decades. In the past, drunk driving was a minor offense. Today, it carries harsh penalties. This has not changed everyone's mind about the practice however. One hundred of the fatal accidents in 2008 involved drunk drivers. That is a flat 50% of these types of accidents. One hundred and sixteen (116) of the 244 crashes in 1990 involved drunk drivers. This means 47% of those crashes involved intoxication. The early 1980's saw a much lower percentage of alcohol related accidents. However, this was before reporting of drunk driving really kicked in.
In 2008, 216 people lost their lives in fatal crashes. This number only dipped slightly to 209 in 2007. Back in 1990, the number was 265. This reflects the higher number of accidents that occurred that year. The early 1980's saw numbers of fatalities climb to around the 400 mark. Pedestrians are statistics in these crashes as well. Over 60 pedestrians died in both 2007 and 2008 due to car crashes. That number has remained steady for the past decade.
Why have the numbers varied so far over the years? Car safety has improved dramatically since the 1970's. Many of the cars involved in accidents into the 1980's did not have these features. Seat belts have drastically reduced the number of fatalities since wearing them became mandatory. Air bags have further reduced these numbers in the past few years. Drunk driving enforcement has brought those numbers under control. All of these factors make driving in Houston a bit safe than it was a few years ago.


If you experience a car accident in Houston, you may want to consider a qualified attorney. For more information, please contact www. smslegal.com