Why Texas Leads The US On Interstate Fatalities (And It's Not Just Bad Drivers)

Texas is the second-largest state in the nation. However, with 683,533 miles of roads, it ranks No. 1 in the U.S. According to the Department of Transportation's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (DOT HS 813 756), an estimated 1,851 people were killed in Texas car crashes during the first half of 2025 alone.

When such numbers are put in a wider context, it means at least one person has died on Texas roads every day since 2020. An analysis by the Ross and Scalise law firm estimates that roughly 62% of deaths occur on highways and interstates alone. Some stretches, such as the notorious I-45, I-35, I-10, and I-20, are among the most dangerous roads in the country. But why does Texas lead the U.S. in interstate fatalities?

Speeding is a major contributing factor in roughly one-third of all traffic fatalities in Texas. Vast roads, high speed limits, heavy commercial truck traffic, a population of more than 30 million, and poor response times in rural areas all contribute to an environment where high-speed crashes are more likely to occur. 

Although the standard maximum speed in Texas is 70 mph, some stretches of highways and interstates are actually capped at 80 or even 85 mph. For instance, on I-10 and I-20, the maximum legal speed is 80 mph. In Washington, DC, the maximum speed limit is 50 mph. At 50 mph, a typical passenger vehicle is likely to come to a complete stop in about 170 to 200 feet. At 80 mph, that increases to 439 or 614 feet.

In and of itself, this does not lead to higher accident rates. However, it does mean that higher speeds reduce reaction time and can make a crash far more serious. If we also consider that Texas has a deadly speeding problem, it is easy to see why its roads are considered so dangerous. The road infrastructure and quality also play a role. 

According to Construction Coverage, around 16% of major Texas roads are in poor condition. The national average is 13%, making its highways rougher than most. Texas is also the second busiest state when it comes to traffic, only behind California. Additionally, almost 25% of all traffic in Texas flows through its interstate network, even though interstates account for about 2.3% of all roads in the state.

A detailed analysis by Ross Law Group (RLG) concluded that about 78 stretches of Texas highways (only 0.58% of the total) were the site of nearly 1,473 fatalities between 2013 and 2015. As per the analysis, the deadliest stretch was a one-and-a-half-mile segment of I-69C in Edinburg — 12 deaths and 8.05 fatalities per mile. RLG reported that the causes include high traffic, sudden changes in speed, and a somewhat confusing layout.

Besides I-69C, I-30 also experienced a high rate of 7.05 fatalities per mile. TruckInfo carried out a study to determine which roads were the worst for speeding, and I-30 ranked among the most dangerous. According to ValuePenguin's analysis of six years' worth of data, I-10, I-35 and I-20 were all listed among the most dangerous. As reported by PMR Law, a study using crash data from the Accident Data Center ranked I‑45 as the most dangerous of all U.S. highways.

Texas is pouring billions into pointless freeway expansions, and although that can help reduce short-term congestion, it doesn't necessarily make highways safer. On a more positive note, Texas' 2026 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) by TxDOT is aimed at reducing fatalities by targeting the state's most dangerous roads with data‑driven safety improvements.