Where are the Worst Drivers in Texas? North Texas

Image Courtesy of weather.com

According to a study conducted by Allstate Insurance Company, the worst drivers in the state of Texas are concentrated in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  The number one city with the worst drivers is Garland, whose drivers are 50% more likely to get in a car accident than the U.S. average.  This means that Garland drivers get into accidents on average every 6.8 years, as opposed to every 10 years.

Other North Texas cities that weren’t far behind Garland in terms of having the worst drivers were Arlington, Dallas, and Mesquite.  Both Arlington and Dallas drivers are 36% more likely to have an accident than the national average.

What about the good news?  Where are the good drivers in Texas?  They seem to be concentrated in South Texas, including the cities of Brownsville, Laredo, and McAllen.

What seems to contribute to the poor driving records of North Texans?

  • Too many drivers, not enough room.  Roadways are hardly able to keep up with the increase in population of the entirety of North Texas.  When there are so many drivers condensed in such a tight space, accidents are more likely to occur.
  • Lots of construction.  The only way to solve the problem of too many drivers is to widen roads or to build more roads, which leads to another major contributing factor for accidents.  Construction brings along with it huge trucks and equipment, as well as disruptions in traffic and torn up roads.  All of these make accidents more likely to occur.
  • Movement between the suburbs.  The D/FW metroplex is composed of a number of suburbs, and many people commute daily to and from work and school.  Again, this means more drivers on the road, driving for longer distances.  This means more accidents.
  • Increased population growth.  More and more people are moving to the metroplex.  The increase in population means that roads can’t be constructed fast enough to keep up.

Things don’t look great nationally either.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2011 to 2012 there were 1,700 more auto accident fatalities.  This was the first year to year increase in this statistic since 2005.

Do you live in North Texas?  Have you been injured in an auto accident?  The auto accident attorneys at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP can help.  An auto accident lawyer can provide you the immediate answers and assistance that you need.  You do not have to suffer alone; contact us today.

Source:  The Dallas Morning News: “Drivers in 9 Dallas area cities among state’s worst in insurance study”, September 18, 2013

This entry was posted in Blog, Car Accidents. Bookmark the permalink.