Texas continues to lead the nation in oil and gas production, but communities in the state’s main energy production areas have also seen a rise in deaths on the road.
In fact, energy producing regions, like much of the Panhandle, account for close to half of all traffic fatalities in Texas.
According to a recent press release from the Texas Department of Transportation, almost 1,700 people died last year — and more than 6,000 were seriously injured — in crashes in energy-rich areas such as the Permian Basin, Barnett Shale, Eagle Ford Shale and Granite Wash.
In 2018 alone, almost 9,000 traffic crashes occurred in the 26-county Granite Wash region, which includes Amarillo.
Those crashes resulted in 86 fatalities and 324 serious injuries. That was a 4 percent increase in the number of accidents, over the year before.
TXDoT encourages all Texas drivers to:
- Always buckle up — drivers and all passengers, day and night.
- Drive a safe speed that takes into account the amount of traffic, road conditions, and weather.
- Focus 100 percent on driving and put your phone away: no talking or texting when you’re behind the wheel.
- Give large trucks plenty of space, be patient, and pass only when it’s safe and legal to do so.
- Obey stop signs and traffic signals.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
