A new report shows that traffic fatalities fell in Texas for the third straight year, but fatalities are significantly higher from the last decade.
The report from TRIP, a national transportation research group, highlights a decrease of 8% in fatalities in Texas from 2021 to 2024, but an 18% increase from 2014.
The decrease comes four years after the numbers surged during the pandemic, when less people were driving, but drivers' behavior dramatically changed.
In an October 2021 report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that "after the declaration of the public health emergency in March 2020, driving patterns and behaviors in the United States changed significantly. Of the drivers who remained on the roads, some engaged in riskier behavior, including speeding, failure to wear seat belts, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs."
The report showed that fatal and serious traffic crashes in Texas resulted in almost $165 billion in economic and quality of life costs in 2024. Nationwide, Texas ranked at number 15 in traffic fatalities in 2024. Mississippi had the highest number.
The report, titled "Addressing America's Traffic Safety Crisis: Examining the Causes of Increasing U.S. Traffic Fatalities and Identifying Solutions to Improve Traffic Safety," documents trends in traffic fatalities from 2014 to 2024 at the national and state levels, examines causes for the increase in traffic fatalities, and prescribes a broad, comprehensive approach to reducing traffic fatalities in the U.S.
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