Austin Among Top 20 Most Dangerous Texas Cities For Driving

AUSTIN, TX — Austin is among the top 20 most dangerous cities for drivers in Texas, according to a new analysis.

Austin based Aceable, a provider of online driving courses, ranked the capital city as the 18th most dangerous city for driving based on the number of fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents. According to 2018 data — the most recent statistics available — culled from the U.S. Census Bureau and Texas Department of Transportation, Austin recorded 6.84 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents.

In compiling its list, Aceable assessed the state’s crash data, drinking and driving data, current driving laws, pending legislation and insights from the Texas Department of Transportation across myriad topics, including:

• Which Texas cities are the most dangerous for drivers?
• Which Texas cities are the safest for drivers?
• Which Texas cities are the most dangerous for drunk driving?
• How strict are Texas’ driving laws compared to laws in the rest of the country?
• Legislation, infrastructure and other factors.
• The Texas Department of Transportation's #EndTheStreakTX campaign.

“From distracted driving to drunk and drugged driving to drowsy driving to outdated laws and infrastructure, there are many factors that play a role in road safety — and the reality is most accidents are actually largely preventable,” Laura Adams, driving safety and education analyst at Aceable, says in prepared statement. “We hope this report encourages drivers, local leaders, and legislators across the state to take action to make the roads safer.”

The most dangerous city for Texas drivers is Dallas, with 14.42 fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents. Other Texas cities on the most-dangerous list include San Antonio (11th), with 8.81 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents, and Houston, tied with Abilene for No. 14, with 8.13 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents.

Conversely, the two safest big cities in Texas are Allen and The Woodlands, which both recorded zero fatal traffic accidents. Waco ranks the 15th safest (5.79 fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents), followed by Killeen, 16th, with 6.04 fatalities per 100,000 residents.

To read the full report, click here.