Austin has a mixed record for traffic safety. You are less likely to have a car accident in Austin than in the rest of Texas. But if you have an accident in Austin, you have a higher chance of getting injured or killed than you would have elsewhere in the state.
There are no explanations for why Austin car accidents are so dangerous. Regardless, a car crash in Austin can cost you dearly, affecting your health, finances, and quality of life. An experienced Austin car accident lawyer can help you navigate the legal process and pursue the compensation you deserve.
How FVF Law Firm – Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Austin
FVF Law Firm – Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers was founded in 2014 by two experienced Austin personal injury lawyers dedicated to helping educate accident victims about their rights. Their values-driven firm has successfully resolved over 950 injury cases. The firm’s lawyers have perfect 5.0 client review ratings on Yelp and Avvo.
Some awards and honors earned by FVF Law personal injury attorneys include:
- Members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- 10.0 “Superb” rating from Avvo
- Listed as Texas Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers Magazine
Austin car accidents can leave you disabled and buried in medical debt. Contact FVF Law at (512) 982-9328 to discuss your car accident and the compensation you can seek for your injuries.
How Common Are Austin Car Accidents?
Texas provides annual traffic accident statistics on the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) website. Austin had 12,433 traffic accidents in 2021. This was about 2.9% of all traffic accidents in Texas that year.
Austin makes up about 3.3% of Texas’s population. This means Austin had 1,400 fewer accidents than it should have based on its share of Texas’s population. In other words, you have a significantly lower chance of getting into a car accident in Austin than you have in the rest of Texas.
Overview of Austin Car Accident Statistics
The number of total accidents in 2020 was down because of decreased traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year 2021 saw a large increase over 2020’s numbers, but overall, Austin had an average year for car accidents in 2021. And 2022 has seen numbers close to Austin’s five-year averages for accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Austin Car Accident Injuries and Deaths
Austin had 113 traffic deaths in 2021, according to the TxDOT website. About 0.9% of Austin’s traffic accidents resulted in a fatality that year. This number included 42 pedestrians, 14 motorcyclists, and three bicyclists who died in traffic accidents.
Austin traffic accidents also injured 8,734 people. Of these, 511 suffered serious injuries and required ambulance transportation to the hospital. Examples of serious injuries include unconsciousness, major fractures, major lacerations, and paralysis.
Another 3,304 people suffered minor injuries. Police use the term minor injuries to describe visible injuries that do not incapacitate the accident victim. As a result, these people did not require an ambulance. A minor injury could include abrasions, minor fractures, and minor lacerations.
In 2021, 4,919 people had suspected injuries. Someone has a suspected injury when they have no visible injury but complain of pain or other symptoms. These injuries include soft tissue injuries, concussions, and mental trauma.
Austin Car Accident Causes
Accidents in Austin usually result from driver errors. According to the TxDOT website, police identified distracted driving as a factor in nearly 4,400 traffic crashes. This means about 26% of traffic accidents in Austin result from distracted driving.
Austin had over 700 accidents that resulted from speeding. Speeding includes traveling faster than the speed limit and traveling too fast for conditions. These dangerous behaviors caused about 4.6% of Austin car crashes.
Almost 1,000 accidents in Austin resulted from intoxicated driving. Drugs and alcohol can interfere with your judgment, reflexes, and alertness. About 8.0% of Austin crashes resulted from drugged or drunk driving.
Austin Car Accident Locations
Austin’s Vision Zero website includes a crash map for Austin. In 2021, car crashes tended to cluster on a few specific roads and highways in the city. Some of the more dangerous locations for car accidents include:
I-35
Traffic accidents happen all along I-35 as it runs through Austin. But the section that runs through Windsor Park and Cherrywood is particularly dangerous. In 2021, this section of I-35 had ten fatal accidents and eight injury accidents.
US-290
US-290 has several hotspots for traffic accidents, including the area around Congress Avenue. This stretch of US-290 had five injury accidents and one fatal accident in 2021.
Interchange of US-183 and TX-1/MoPac Expressway
This interchange is particularly deadly. In 2021, three people died and four people were injured at this busy highway interchange.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Austin Car Accident Lawyers
Despite what the statistics say about Austin car accidents, you can still get hit by another car anytime and anywhere. To discuss your car accident and the injuries you received, contact FVF Law Firm – Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.