It is necessary for all Texas drivers to pay close attention when they’re driving on roads all over the state, especially when there is so much road construction and repair going on. A lot of the construction is because of the recent oil boom, which caused major increases in population and heavy truck traffic, much of it on roads that were not built for it.
As an example of the toll that heavy road construction can take on Texas drivers, police released a report last week of Fort Worth traffic accidents, showing that the overall number of vehicle accidents is up nearly 20 percent this year in the area, a number they believe is due to a combination of heavy traffic and a lot of road construction. So far this year, through June 20, there have been 9,862 vehicle accidents in Fort Worth, compared to 8,194 during the same period in 2015. While only about 948 accidents have occurred in constriction zones, which is about 10 percent of the total number of accidents, that is up from 762 last year and 463 in 2014. The news wasn’t all bad. The number of accidents leading to fatalities was 25 as of June 20, compared with 37 at the same time last year.
The complete report also compiled general statistics during a time period from Jan. 1, 2013 through Mar. 3 of this year, and what they found was that accidents were caused by a wide variety of factors, with a few causes standing out. For example, failure to control speed was the number one factor, leading to 16,000 accidents during that time period, but second on the list was “driver inattention,” which is basically the same as distracted driving, which led to 13,000 accidents, and failure to yield right of way leading to about 6,000 accidents. Also concerning was the 2,000 accidents in which driving under the influence was a factor. Perhaps not surprisingly, Sunday was the day of the week with the most accidents, with the numbers rising each day until Friday and Saturday, which were the most accident-prone days.
According to Fort Worth Police, the culprit is a deadly combination of heavy traffic, construction and a lot of driver distractions. In addition, there are a lot of drivers speeding through the construction zones, but police are unable to pull them over quickly in the mess of cones, barriers and a lack of safe areas. And the problem may not go away very soon, since the area is scheduled To continue the nearly $1.6 billion worth of road work until 2018.
Texas roads can be a treacherous place, so it always is a good idea to pay attention to the road and to drive safely and carefully, in Fort Worth and everywhere else. If you or a loved on have been injured of killed in a traffic accident anywhere in the state, Call the San Antonio Auto Accident Attorney at the Hill Law Firm as soon as possible. We have the knowledge and the experience to help you deal with those responsible and their insurance companies and help you protect your rights.