Hundreds of thousands of new residents are adding to the high rate of car crashes
Our DFW area was the fastest-growing area in the U.S. last year. Fort Worth almost added the most people in the country. Cowtown is suddenly the 13th largest city in the U.S., with our population almost doubling to about 900,000 people in less than 20 years. And other cities in North Texas, including Frisco, McKinney, and Rowlett, were among the top 10 fastest-growing cities last year. But that’s not all good news. With this rapid population growth comes a serious problem that I see on a daily basis: more car accidents in Dallas-Fort Worth and sadly, more injuries and deaths.
The word has clearly gotten out about how great it is to live in Texas. Millions of people have found out this is the one of the best places to live on the planet. Texas adds almost 400,000 new residents a year, the most of any state in the U.S.
But Texas highways were already among the country’s most dangerous. Here in North Texas parts of I-35 and I-20 are on the top 10 worst roads lists in the U.S. An estimated 3,600 people tragically lose their lives in car and truck wrecks each year, one every two hours. A fellow Texan is injured in a vehicle ever two minutes.
I’ve lived here most of my life since I found out about the Plan II Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin and transferred from a small liberal arts college in the East back in 1974. I wasn’t born here but I got here as fast as I could.
These are the causes of car accidents in Dallas-Fort Worth
Each year there are over 80,000 vehicles crashing into each other just in Tarrant and Dallas Counties. This problem is out of control. That’s because we have too many bad drivers. Like those people who choose to be
- Distracted drivers – A driver stuck in heavy or stopped traffic, even someone who wouldn’t normally touch his/her cell phone, may decide that the increased prevalence of jammed traffic allows or demands multitasking, such as texting, emailing, making calls, updating a social media feed, or finishing one’s morning grooming ritual. Whenever a driver allows distractions to seep into his/her driving, even in slowed or stopped traffic, that driver is increasing the odds of an accident.
- Drunk drivers – Texas is #1 in so many categories, but this is the one that causes so much mayhem on our roads. Just in 2016, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said that we lost 1,438 people due to alcohol-related crashes — way more than California which has 12 million more citizens. This is why I support Mothers Against Drunk Driving and advocate for tougher blood alcohol content levels, stronger law enforcement and criminal penalties, and civil lawsuits to prevent this menace from plaguing our highways year after year.
- Road ragers – Increased population can lead to increased road congestion, and increased road congestion can lead to longer commutes and more stop-and-go traffic. Those things, of course, seem to bring out the worst in some drivers and may cause them to be more likely to engage in aggressive and dangerous driving maneuvers, raising the risk of a crash.
- Fatigued or medicated drivers – Tired driving usually (but not always) happens late at night. When we had fewer residents, it was easier to get away with driving while drowsy or drugged without causing a crash. In a larger population with more people on the roads 24/7, the risk of causing a wreck goes up substantially.
Of course, there are many other causes of car accidents in Dallas-Fort Worth, including the routine running red lights and stop signs, failing to yield the right of way at intersections, turning when unsafe and without using a turn signal, passing when unsafe, and on and on. The constant road construction is necessary but doesn’t help.
Everyone knows that you should obey our traffic laws. You should avoid driving while looking at your cell phone, driving while intoxicated, and not get so angry at another driver you decide to ram him with your car or truck. Nevertheless, the more people there are on our ever-widening roads, it’s almost inevitable that more crashes are to happen. That would be true in the best of conditions. As rapid population growth gives us more unfamiliar drivers, more opportunities to get frustrated, and more chances to become distracted, those numbers will go higher.
We can help you
As a Fort Worth car accident lawyer, I have represented thousands of car and truck crash victims over the past nearly 40 years. I have seen just how devastating a vehicle collision can be.
If you or someone you love was involved in a car accident in DFW and has been injured as a result, please contact me and my hard-working team at Berenson Injury Law. We will be happy to discuss your case at no charge and let you know if we can help you get your damages paid or if this is a claim you can handle yourself.
You can reach as by calling 1-888-801-8585 or by clicking here.