Texas recorded 538,860 reportable motor vehicle crashes in 2025. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), 3,769 people died in them. That averages more than 10 deaths every day. TxDOT also counted 244,534 injured people and 17,418 suspected serious injuries.
Deaths fell 9.38% from 4,159 in 2024, the fourth straight yearly decline. The 2025 death rate dropped to 1.20 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Deaths still sit 4.1% above the 2019 total of 3,622, so the long-term picture is mixed.
Many of those crashes lead to a Texas car accident claim involving medical bills, lost income, and fault disputes. If a crash has affected you or your family, we offer free consultations. You owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation.
Texas Crash Deaths and Death Rates From 2019 to 2025
TxDOT’s year-by-year comparison shows deaths climbing through 2021 and falling every year since.
- 2019: 3,622 deaths, a rate of 1.26 per 100 million vehicle miles
- 2020: 3,898 deaths, a rate of 1.50
- 2021: 4,456 deaths, a rate of 1.56
- 2022: 4,410 deaths, a rate of 1.52
- 2023: 4,291 deaths, a rate of 1.42
- 2024: 4,159 deaths, a rate of 1.35
- 2025: 3,769 deaths, a rate of 1.20
The death rate adjusts for how much people drive. Vehicles traveled about 314 billion miles on Texas roads in 2025, which produces the 1.20 rate. The 2025 death total sits 15.4% below the 2021 peak.
Which Texas Counties and Cities Have the Most Crashes and Deaths?
Crash totals follow population, so the largest counties and cities lead every list. These numbers are counts, not rates. They show where crashes happen, not which place is most dangerous.
Counties
- Harris County: 107,472 crashes and 503 deaths
- Bexar County: 46,744 crashes and 190 deaths
- Dallas County: 43,946 crashes and 274 deaths
- Tarrant County: 30,433 crashes and 190 deaths
- El Paso County: 17,848 crashes and 70 deaths
- Travis County: 15,939 crashes and 143 deaths
Harris County, which includes Houston, accounted for 19.9% of Texas crashes but 13.3% of deaths. That gap may reflect dense urban traffic, where crashes are common but often less deadly.
Nearby counties show the wider Houston-area picture:
- Fort Bend County: 12,801 crashes and 57 deaths
- Montgomery County: 12,393 crashes and 58 deaths
- Galveston County: 6,532 crashes and 33 deaths
- Brazoria County: 5,709 crashes and 42 deaths
Cities
Houston recorded 60,317 crashes and 293 deaths in 2025. That equals 11.2% of the state’s crashes and 7.8% of its deaths. Dallas recorded 24,677 crashes and 172 deaths. Fort Worth had 15,680 crashes and 112 deaths. Austin had 11,032 crashes and 98 deaths.
What Contributes Most to Deadly Texas Crashes?
TxDOT tracks several contributing factors. A single crash can involve more than one, so the shares below overlap.
Speeding
Speed played a role in 150,129 crashes (27.9%) and 1,247 deaths (33.1%) in 2025. That is the highest death share of any factor listed here. TxDOT’s speed category covers unsafe speed, speeding over the limit, and failure to control speed. Speeding over the limit specifically accounted for 297 deaths.
Drunk Driving
DUI crashes made up just 4.1% of all crashes (22,194) but caused 906 deaths, or 24.0% of the total. About 23.3% of fatal crashes (809 of 3,476) involved DUI. TxDOT’s DUI category counts alcohol only, so it leaves out drug impairment.
Houston recorded 1,860 DUI crashes and 86 DUI deaths in 2025. That total exceeds San Antonio (1,347), Austin (879), Dallas (875), and Fort Worth (522). People hurt by an impaired driver can pursue drunk driving accident claims against that driver.
Distracted Driving
Distraction contributed to 86,940 crashes (16.1%) and 308 deaths (8.2%) in 2025. Deaths in this category fell 18.95% from 2024. TxDOT includes in-vehicle distraction, driver inattention, and cell phone use, and inattention makes up most of it. Proving distraction in a distracted driving accident claim takes more than the crash report. Phone records and witness accounts often matter.
Commercial Vehicles and Work Zones
Crashes involving commercial motor vehicles made up 7.2% of all crashes (38,533) but 14.0% of deaths (528). Work zone crashes totaled 28,089 and caused 203 deaths.
Who Is Most at Risk in Texas Crashes?
Pedestrians, Motorcyclists, and Bicyclists
Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists accounted for 1,345 of the 3,769 deaths in 2025 (35.7%). That includes 695 pedestrians, 559 motorcyclists, and 91 bicyclists. Pedestrian deaths fell 10.09% from 2024, while bicyclist deaths rose 13.75%. Fault in pedestrian crashes often turns on who had the right of way.
Among the 559 motorcyclists killed, 359 wore helmets and 173 did not. TxDOT did not record helmet use for the other 27.
Seat Belt Use
TxDOT recorded restraint status for 2,111 people killed in 2025. Of those, 972 (about 46%) had no restraint.
When and Where Texas Crashes Turn Deadly
Rural Roads and Highways
Rural areas had 27.39% of Texas crashes but 1,889 deaths, or 50.12% of the total. Urban areas, which TxDOT defines as cities and towns of 5,000 or more people, had 1,880 deaths.
By road type, U.S. and state highways saw 1,374 deaths (36.5%). City streets saw 818, interstates 671, farm-to-market roads 585, county roads 268, and tollways 50. Run-off-road crashes killed 1,201 people, intersection crashes killed 955, and head-on crashes killed 555.
Darkness
Crashes on dark roads without lighting made up 9.2% of all crashes but 31.0% of fatal crashes (1,077). All dark conditions together made up 27.9% of crashes and 54.9% of fatal crashes. Daylight produced 68.5% of crashes and 40.0% of fatal crashes.
Time of Day and Weather
Crashes peak between 4 and 6 p.m., with about 43,600 at 4 p.m. and 43,700 at 5 p.m. Fatal crashes peak later, between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Texas recorded 222 fatal crashes in the 8 p.m. hour alone. Friday has the most crashes (87,812), and Saturday has the most fatal crashes (621).
Weather plays a smaller role than many drivers expect. Rain was present in 35,861 crashes (6.7%) and 177 fatal crashes. Clear or cloudy skies accounted for 3,228 of the 3,476 fatal crashes.
How Texas Compares With the Rest of the Country
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published an early estimate for 2025. It puts U.S. traffic deaths at 36,640, down 6.7% from 2024. That equals 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles. For Texas, NHTSA estimates 3,775 deaths, down 9.3%, at a rate of 1.21.
Texas accounts for about 10.3% of national deaths, and its rate still runs above the national rate. NHTSA’s independent estimate for Texas lands close to TxDOT’s count of 3,769.
How to Read TxDOT’s Crash Numbers
These figures come from TxDOT’s 2025 crash statistics. They draw on officer crash reports that TxDOT had processed as of April 7, 2026.
TxDOT counts reportable crashes only. Under Transportation Code Chapter 550, officers file a written report after any crash with an injury or death. They also file one for $1,000 or more in property damage to any one person. Minor crashes without a report never enter the totals, so the real number of crashes runs higher. TxDOT counts a death when the person dies within 30 days of the crash.
What These Statistics Mean for a Texas Car Accident Claim
The numbers show how often serious crashes happen. Three Texas rules shape what happens after one.
Shared Fault Can Reduce or Bar Recovery
Texas applies comparative negligence rules to injury claims. A claimant who bears more than 50% of the responsibility cannot recover damages. A smaller percentage reduces the recovery by that amount. Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code sets both rules.
Insurers often argue that the injured driver shared the blame, because even a small percentage lowers what they pay. Joe Zaid spent nearly a decade working inside the insurance industry, and we know how those arguments take shape.
Two Years to File a Lawsuit
Texas generally gives injured people two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Section 16.003 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code sets that deadline. In a death case, the two years start on the date of death. That timing matters to families pursuing a wrongful death claim. Exceptions can change that timeline, so check the statute of limitations for your claim early.
Minimum Insurance Often Falls Short
Texas sets minimum liability limits under Transportation Code Chapter 601. They equal $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage. Serious injuries can exceed those limits quickly.
Nationally, the Insurance Research Council estimated that 14.0% of drivers were uninsured in 2022. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, recovery may depend on the injured person’s own uninsured motorist coverage.
Get Help After a Texas Car Accident
Statistics show the scale of the problem, but they cannot tell you what your own claim needs. If you were hurt, we can review fault, insurance coverage, and your injuries during a free consultation. Our four Houston-area offices serve injured people across Houston, Pasadena, Humble, and Clear Lake.
