Car accidents in rural areas

Car Accidents
August 28, 2024

Fatal Car Accidents In Rural Texas

Throughout my career I have noticed a disturbing trend in the amount of fatality car accidents in rural areas of Central Texas.

Here are some interesting statistics about fatal automobile accidents in rural areas of the US within the last five years:

  1. Higher Fatality Rates in Rural Areas: In 2021, rural areas accounted for 45% of all traffic fatalities, despite only making up 19% of the US population. This indicates a significantly higher fatality rate in rural regions compared to urban areas.

  2. Alcohol-Impaired Driving: In fatal crashes, 54% of alcohol-impaired drivers were in rural areas compared to 46% in urban areas. Alcohol use in rural areas highlights a much deeper problem in Central Texas and across the state. In 2022, Texas saw 1,162 fatalities due to drunk driving, roughly three deaths every day. In response, Texas law enforcement agencies have ramped up efforts to curb drunk driving, especially around holidays, which see a spike in alcohol-related crashes.

  3. Lack of Seatbelt Use: 50% of the fatalities in rural areas involved individuals not wearing seat belts.

For more detailed information, you can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s page on crash statistics here: CrashStats.

What About Car Accidents In Rural Texas?

Fatal automobile accidents in rural areas of Texas is also a huge problem:

  1. Daily Fatalities: Texas has experienced at least one traffic fatality every day for more than two decades. On average, there are about 12 roadway deaths daily across the state, many of which occur in rural areas where road conditions and response times can vary significantly​ (TxDOT).

  2. Increase in Fatalities: In 2021, Texas recorded 4,480 traffic fatalities, making it the second deadliest year since the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began tracking these statistics in 1940. This increase reflects a broader trend of rising traffic deaths both in Texas and nationwide​ (TxDOT).

  3. Impact of Unsafe Driving Behaviors: In 2021, speeding was a significant factor in rural road accidents, resulting in 1,522 fatalities among Texans. Additionally, 1,219 deaths were due to individuals not wearing seat belts. These behaviors, which are more prevalent in rural areas, contributed substantially to the overall fatality count​ (TxDOT).

  4. Safety Measures and Roadway Design: To combat these high fatality rates, TxDOT has been implementing several safety measures. These include increasing pavement striping size, creating wider centerline buffers with rumble strips, and building roundabouts where appropriate. Such measures have proven effective in reducing fatalities by improving road visibility and safety (TxDOT).

personal injury areas of focus - texas flag

Which Parts of Central Texas are Considered ‘Rural’?

Although there are parts of Hays, Travis and Williamson counties that are considered “the sticks,” these Central Texas counties are considered rural based on population density and overall development. Some of the rural counties in Central Texas include:

  • Llano County: Located northwest of Austin, Llano County is known for its small population and rural landscape, characterized by ranching and agriculture.
  • San Saba County: North of Llano, San Saba County is sparsely populated and heavily reliant on farming and ranching, making it a quintessential rural county.
  • Mills County: Situated to the north of San Saba County, Mills County is known for its low population density and extensive rural areas.
  • Lampasas County: West of Bell County, Lampasas County is rural with a small population spread across a larger geographic area, relying heavily on agriculture.
  • Mason County: Located further west of Llano County, Mason County is characterized by its rural setting and sparse population.
  • Coryell County: While some parts are more developed, much of Coryell County, located west of Waco, is considered rural, especially outside the city of Gatesville.
  • Burnet County: Northwest of Travis County (which includes Austin), Burnet County includes rural areas along with some developing regions.

 

Car Accident News In And Around Austin

Rural/Urban Comparison of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities

A couple of additional factors to consider:  Rural areas have a disproportionate amount of SUV’s and pickups when compared with urban areas.  SUVs and Pickups are more prone to rollover accidents than traditional cars. As a result, Texans in rural areas tend to be at greater risk.

Finally, I believe that road conditions are worse on our Farm to County roads than in urban areas.  Narrow lanes, animals and debris in the roadways, steep embankments, and lack of traffic signals are all contributing factors to the disproportionate amount of rural vs. urban accidents.

Come See Us—We Work With Accident Victims Outside of Austin

Whether you have been involved in a rural or an urban car accident, the lawyers at Funk & Associates are here to help.  Call us now, you won’t regret it.

Car Accident News In And Around Austin

  • Crash Alert: Multiple injuries reported in 2-car crash at S Lakeshore and Pleasant Valley (12/20/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Officials reported multiple injuries Thursday night in connection to a two-vehicle crash in southeast Austin. According to CBS Austin, the accident happened at 10 p.m. at the intersection of South Lakeshore Boulevard and South Pleasant Valley Road, which is just northwest of the Riverside campus of Austin Community College. Austin Police are
  • Crash Alert: Adult, child injured in S Austin pedestrian crash (12/19/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – An adult and a child were hurt Thursday morning when a vehicle struck them at a south Austin intersection, reports ATCEMS. Auto Ped: Travis Heights Blvd/ Live Oak #atcemsmedics on scene preparing to transport one adult patient with serious not expected to be life threatening injuries to Dell Seton Medical Center pic.twitter.com/cGraTL2CMk
  • Crash Alert: Car T-bones CapMetro van in S Austin, injuring 4 (12/18/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Injuries have been reported in connection to a three-vehicle crash involving a CapMetro van Wednesday morning in south Austin, reports KVUE. The accident happened shortly before 10:30 a.m. in the area of South First Street and West William Cannon Drive, which is near Bedichek Middle School. Police say that a westbound passenger
  • Crash Alert: 2-vehicle rollover at E Stassney and Peppertree kills 2 (12/17/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Two men died Saturday afternoon in a crash involving a car and a pickup in southeast Austin, reports KVUE. The accident happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. at the intersection of East Stassney Lane and Peppertree Parkway, which is east of I-35 and northwest of McKinney Falls State Park. Police haven’t shared any
  • Crash Report: Pedestrian claimed in crash on Ben White near US-183 (12/16/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Authorities are working to identify a pedestrian who died Monday morning in a South Austin crash, reports KVUE. The accident happened shortly before 7 a.m. on East Ben White near the intersection with US-183, which is just northwest of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Police haven’t shared any details about the vehicle involved, but
  • Crash Report: 2 hospitalized in major crash on I-35 NB near Brandt (12/13/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Officials reported injuries Thursday in connection to a major collision along the interstate in southeast Austin. According to CBS Austin, the accident happened just after 12:30 p.m. on the northbound side of I-35 near Brandt Road, which is near the Southpark Meadows shopping center. Police haven’t yet shared any details regarding the
  • Crash Report: 1 hurt in 2-car crash at Riverside and Montopolis (12/12/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A two-vehicle collision resulted in serious injuries on Monday evening in southeast Austin, reports ATCEMS. FINAL Vehicle Rescue at Montopolis Dr/ E Riverside Dr (18:11). #ATCEMS & @AustinFireInfo on scene of reported 2 vehicle collision w/ 2 adult patients. #ATCEMSMedics transported an adult patient to Dell Seton w/critical, life-threatening injuries. 2nd patient refused
  • Crash Report: Motorcycle vs. car crash near Mopac and Parmer injures 1 (12/11/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – An Austin motorcyclist was badly injured Sunday night in a two-vehicle collision along the freeway in North Austin, reports CBS Austin. The accident happened around 9:34 p.m. on the northbound side of the Mopac Expressway near West Parmer Lane. This is just east of Balcones Youth Sports. So far, Austin Police have
  • Crash Report: Fiery crash on Littig Rd near Elgin kills 1 (12/10/2024) - TRAVIS CO., TX – Emergency teams responded to a fatal accident in east-central Travis County on Tuesday morning, reports CBS Austin. The crash occurred just after midnight on Littig Road near Bitting School Road, which is about six miles southwest of Elgin. Very few details regarding the accident have been disclosed thus far. Police say
  • Crash Alert: 1 seriously hurt in crash on TX-183 NB near San Felipe (12/9/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Injuries have been reported in connection to a serious crash that happened Friday evening along the highway in north Austin, reports KXAN. The accident occurred around 7 p.m. in the area of 13000 US-183. This in on the northbound side of the highway, between McNeil Drive and Anderson Mill Road. Police haven’t
  • Crash Alert: Car hits, seriously injures child on E Ben White near I-35 (12/6/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Austin EMS and police responded to a major pedestrian accident in southeast Austin on Friday afternoon, reports CBS Austin. The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on the westbound side of the service road for Ben White Boulevard, just east of the intersection with I-35.  Police say that a vehicle struck and
  • Crash Alert: Rollover on FM 620 near Steiner Ranch injures 2 (12/5/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Two people sustained injuries Wednesday night in a major accident along FM 620 in northwest Austin, reports CBS Austin. The crash happened around 7 p.m. near the intersection with Steiner Ranch Boulevard, which is just east of Tom Hughes Park. Police haven’t shared any details about the collision except to say that
  • Crash Alert: Solo crash on TX-130 near Kelly Ln kills 1, injures 1 (12/4/2024) - PFLUGERVILLE, TX – A single-vehicle crash along the highway in Pflugerville killed one person and injured another on Tuesday, reports KXAN. The accident happened sometime before 5:20 a.m. on TX-130 near Kelly Lane, which is northwest of Falcon Point Recreation Center and west of Secluded Willow Park. Police say that for unknown reasons, a vehicle
  • Crash Alert: Major crash on FM 959 near Decker kills 1, injures 2 (12/3/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – One person died, and two were seriously hurt last Thursday in a two-vehicle crash in east-central Austin, reports City of Austin. The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. on FM 969 Road between Decker Lane and Nixon Lane. This is in the Rogers Hill area. Police haven’t disclosed any details regarding the cause
  • Crash Alert: 2-vehicle crash at Pecan and 1431 kills 2, injures 1 (12/2/2024) - JONESTOWN, TX – A two-vehicle crash with entrapment killed two people Saturday afternoon in northwest Travis County, reports Fox 7 Austin. Around 4 p.m., emergency teams reported to the intersection of Pecan Drive and FM 1431 in the city of Jonestown. This is just west of Cedar Park and about and 29 miles northwest of
  • Crash Alert: 1 injured in pedestrian hit-and-run on S 1st near Dittmar (11/27/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – One person sustained injuries Sunday when a vehicle struck them along a busy roadway in South Austin, reports KXAN. The accident happened at night on South 1st Street, just north of West Dittmar Road. This is northwest of Williams Elementary School, near the Thicket Food Park. Austin Police are looking for a
  • Crash Alert: 2 adults, 2 kids hurt in crash on Jones Rd in Manor (11/26/2024) - MANOR, TX – A crash involving at least two vehicles injured four people Saturday on the far-east side of Manor, reports CBS Austin. Emergency teams responded to the area of 1000 Jones Road around 1:30 a.m. This is southwest of the Austin Rifle Club and northeast of White Fences Equestrian Center. Police haven’t yet shared
  • Crash Alert: Vehicle strikes, injures pedestrian at Koenig and Burnet (11/25/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – One person was badly hurt Saturday evening when a vehicle struck them along a major roadway in central Austin, reports CBS Austin. The accident happened around 6 p.m. at the intersection of West Koenig Lane and Burnet Road in the Allandale area. This is just south of Lamar Middle School. Police are
  • Crash Alert: Wrong-way crash on Barton Springs Rd near Zilker kills 1 (11/22/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A two-vehicle collision along a major South Austin roadway killed one person Thursday, reports KVUE. The incident happened at night on Barton Springs Road near Andrew Zilker Road, which is near Barton Springs Municipal Pool. Police haven’t shared any details about the crash except to say that two vehicles collided head-on.  One
  • Crash Alert: Car strikes, kills pedestrian on I-35 at Exit 304 in Temple (11/21/2024) - TEMPLE, TX – A 51-year-old Washington man died Monday when a vehicle struck him along the interstate in Temple. According to My Texas Daily, the accident occurred shortly after 5 a.m. in the 5900 block North General Bruce Drive, or I-35. This is near the intersection with TX-363. Police say the victim was walking on
  • Crash Alert: Motorcyclist airlifted after crash at Stan Schlueter and Elms (11/20/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A motorcyclist sustained injuries Monday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on the south side of Killeen, reports Killeen Daily Herald.  The accident happened around 4 p.m. near the intersection of Elms Road and East Stan Schlueter Loop, which is south of I-14 and north of Cedar Valley Elementary School. Police say that
  • Crash Alert: 19-year-old struck, hurt on RR 12 near Fulton Ranch (11/19/2024) - SAN MARCOS, TX – Police continue to investigate an accident that seriously hurt a 19-year-old woman on Halloween in San Marcos. According to KXAN, the incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Ranch Road 12 near the Sigma Chi Fraternity House. This is just west of Fulton Ranch Road. Police say the young woman was walking
  • Crash Alert: APD responds to collision on Los Cielos Blvd in SE Austin (11/18/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A vehicle accident was reported late Monday night on Los Cielos Boulevard in southeast Austin, according to the Austin-Travis County Traffic Report Page. The wreck was reported in the 6000-6005 block of Los Cielos Boulevard, near Pearce Lane and Universe Circle, in the city’s Del Valle East area. Austin Police Department officers
  • Crash Alert: 2 hospitalized in 5-car crash on I-35 NB near 51st St (11/15/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A multi-vehicle crash along the interstate in east-central Austin sent two people to the hospital on Wednesday, reports KVUE. The accident happened around 6:15 a.m. on the northbound side of I-35 between East 51st Street and Reinli Street. This is just west of the Capital Plaza shopping center.  There’s no word yet
  • Crash Alert: Cyclist struck, seriously hurt at Guadalupe and Airport (11/14/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – A cyclist sustained injuries Thursday morning when a vehicle struck them at a busy intersection in central Austin, reports ATCEMS. FINAL Auto vs Bicycle Collision at Guadalupe St / Airport Blvd (11:49). #ATCEMSMedics are transporting an adult patient reportedly struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle, to Dell Seton Medical Center
  • Crash Alert: APD investigates fatal auto-ped. crash at Montopolis and Crumley (11/13/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – One person sustained fatal injuries Monday evening when a vehicle struck them along a busy roadway in southeast Austin, reports CBS Austin. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. in the area of Montopolis Drive and Crumley Lane, which is west of Highway 183 and south of Colorado River Park Wildlife Sanctuary. Police
  • Crash Alert: 1 killed in auto-pedestrian crash on I-35 SB at Braker (11/12/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Austin Police are investigating a pedestrian crash that killed one person Tuesday morning in northeast Austin, reports KXAN. The accident occurred just after 3:30 p.m. on the southbound side of I-35 near Braker Lane. This is in the Walnut Forest area, just southeast of Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. Authorities haven’t yet commented
  • Crash Report: 2 hurt, 1 in custody after DUI crash on US-290 at FM 1100 (11/11/2024) - MANOR, TX – Two people sustained injuries Saturday in an alleged DUI crash along the highway in Manor, reports CBS Austin. Emergency teams reported to the intersection of US-290 westbound and FM 1100 around 7:20 p.m. This is south of Heart of Texas Metalworks. Police haven’t yet specified the number of vehicles involved in the
  • Crash Alert: Extrication crash on Dessau near Collinwood injures 1 (11/8/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – One person was hurt Wednesday night in a multi-vehicle accident along a major roadway in northeast Austin, reports KXAN. The crash happened just after 9 p.m. on Dessau Road near the intersection with Collinwood West Drive. This is east of I-35 and west of Jourdan-Bahman Pioneer Farms. Police haven’t disclosed the cause
  • Crash Alert: Crews respond to pin-in crash on US-290 near El Rey (11/7/2024) - AUSTIN, TX – Emergency teams responded to a two-vehicle crash with entrapment Wednesday night along the highway in West Oak Hill, reports ATCEMS. Vehicle Rescue at 8160-8256 W Us 290 Hwy (21:11, x-st El Rey Blvd). #ATCEMS, @OakHillFire & @AustinFireInfo are on scene of a reported collision involving a vehicle & a dump truck, with 2
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