Car Crash Statistics in Texas 2023 vs. 2022

Over a thousand people move to Texas every day. We have nearly 200,000 miles of roadway. Texas has also spent $2 billion from 2015 to 2022 to make our roadways safer. Texas also has a “Road to Zero” goal which is zero fatalities on Texas roads by 2050.

So how are we doing?

Texas Crash Data

Ever wonder what happens to crash reports after an accident? Where do they go from your local police department? The data from these reports, whether filed by police or self-reporting blue forms that are submitted to the police, gets compiled into a database by the Texas Department of Transportation (“TXDOT”).

CRIS is an extensive database maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. It contains data compiled from all of the crash reports filed in Texas. As such it is an exhaustive database from which useful information can be mind. In this post we will share our findings after doing just that. You’ll also find information in this post you won’t find anywhere else. For example, it is easy to track the increase (or decrease) in accidents based on crash type, but the information tells a much more useful story when you combine it with other sources of information – such as data on population growth in Texas over the same period.

So without further ado, let’s jump right into a comparison of the 2022 data against the most recent complete year, 2023.

The Number of Crashes in Texas Held Steady in 2023

Overall, there were 3,367 more accidents reported in 2023 than there were in 2022. That is less than a 1% increase in the total number of crashes. There were 555,586 accidents in 2022 and 558,953 accidents in 2023. That translates to 1,531 accidents per day in Texas in 2023. That’s 10,748 accidents per week, 46,579 accidents per month.

That’s just over 1 accident per minute in Texas in 2023.

Texas Population Growth Against Crash Data

Let’s compare this against population growth. Texas, the second-largest state in the U.S. by both area and population, sees a vast amount of traffic on its roads each day. Texas grew in population by 1.6 percent last year, meaning it added more people than any other state in the nation last year according to the United States Census Bureau.

Although there were more crashes in Texas last year, the rate at which crashes increased was less than the rate that the population grew by.

Fatal Car Crashes Were Down

There were 110 fewer fatal car crashes in 2023 as compared to 2022. That is a 2.8% reduction in fatal car crashes even while the population increased by 1.6%. While even a single death is one too many, it is improvement that tracks the increasing safety measures we see in modern vehicles. Improvements in vehicle safety features and advancements in road safety measures have likely contributed to the reduction in fatalities.

The Number of Texans Injured in Motor Vehicle Accidents Went Up

There were 5,857 more injuries from motor vehicle accidents in Texas in 2023 than there were in 2022. That is an increase of about 2.3%, slightly more than the increase in population in Texas over the same period of time.

Remarkable Reduction in Alcohol-Related Accidents in Texas in 2023

There were 1,107 fewer accidents involving alcohol in 2023, representing a 4.4% decrease in alcohol-related crashes. The total number of alcohol-related accidents in 2023 was 23,844 which is down from 24951 in 2022. There was a massive reduction in alcohol-related fatality accidents. In 2022 4,756 people lost their lives in alcohol-related accidents. In 2023, that number was down to 3,547. This represents a 25.4% reduction in alcohol-related accident deaths in 2023, despite a 1.6% increase in population.

Motorcycle Accidents Increased in Texas in 2023

There were 278 more motorcycle accidents in 2023 than in 2022. This represents a 3.3% increase in the number of motorcycle accidents. 54 more motorcycle accidents resulted in fatalities, which is a 7.7% increase in motorcycle accident fatalities.

Tarrant County Accident Statistics

There were 29,043 accidents reported in Tarrant County in 2023, up 34 accidents from 2022, a virtual dead heat. There were 13 more fatalities from car accidents in Tarrant County in 2023 versus 2022. 2023 saw a total of 215 fatalities from car accidents.

There were 141 alcohol-related car accident fatalities in Tarrant County in 2022 and 21 less in 2023.

The number of motorcycle fatalities jumped from 40 to 54 from 2022 to 2023 in Tarrant County.

Dallas County Accidents

There were 54,555 car accidents in Dallas County in 2022. There were 52,115 accidents in Dallas County in 2023, a decrease of 2,440 car accidents. There were 332 fatalities arising out of car accidents in Dallas in 2023, 10 more than the previous year. There were 551 alcohol-related car accident fatalities in Dallas County in 2022 with a reduction of over 200 alcohol-related fatalities in 2023, with the total for the year ending at 349 alcohol-related fatalities. The number of motorcycle accidents remained relatively steady. There were 46 in Dallas in 2022 and 42 in 2023. The total number of individuals injured in accidents went up by over 500, with 25,142 injuries in 2023 and 25,708 in 2022.

Harris County Accident Statistics

The number of accidents stayed relatively steady in Harris County. There were 115, 806 accidents in Harris County in 2022. There were 116,473 accidents reported to TXDOT in Harris County in 2023.

The number of fatal car accidents dropped from 559 in 2022 to 534 in 2023.

The number of alcohol-related fatalities had an even greater drop from 834 alcohol-related fatalities in Harris County in 2022 to 701 alcohol-related traffic accident deaths in 2023.

The number of motorcycle accidents went from 110 in 2023 to 100 in 2022 in Harris County. The total number of injuries arising from traffic accidents dropped by about a thousand from 2022 to 2023, going from 47,598 to 46,569.

Bexar County Motor Vehicle Accident Statistics

The total number of accidents in Bexar County rose from 47,467 in 2022 to 48,690 in 2023. The number of fatalities from traffic accidents in Bexar over that same period dropped from 247 to 209.

Massive Drop in Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities in Bexar County in 2023

Even more remarkably, the number of alcohol-related traffic accident deaths dropped from 318 to 132, a reduction of almost 58%, the greatest drop in the cities mentioned in this article. According to the Office of Court Administration, in 2023 about 10% more misdemeanor driving while intoxicated cases were filed in Bexar County than were filed the previous year.

First-Time DWIs Reduced in Bexar, But in More Limited Circumstances in 2023

Bexar County offers reductions of first-time DWIs to Obstruction of Highway charges, but in 2023 changed their policy to no longer allow those if the blood alcohol concentration was over .15 or if there was an accident. The county reported a 3% lower recidivism rate for individuals who pled to Obstruction charges compared to those who pled to DWI charges.

Motorcycle accident fatalities in Bexar County increased from 28 to 37 from 2022 to 2023. The total number of injuries arising from traffic accidents in Bexar County dropped marginally from 20,077 in 2022 to 19,851 in 2023.

Driving While Intoxicated Filings vs. Intoxication-Related Fatalities in Texas 

Dallas, Tarrant, and Harris County all saw reductions in alcohol-related fatalities and misdemeanor DWI cases filed. Bexar County, which had the greatest reduction in alcohol-related fatalities, had about 10% more misdemeanor DWI cases filed in 2023 when compared to 2022.

Statewide, filings of misdemeanor DWIs dropped about 3.4% while alcohol-related motor vehicle accident deaths dropped by over 25%.

Funding for Texas Road Improvements

Texas Department of Transportation’s Unified Transportation Program has a massive impact on North Texas roadways. TxDoT has earmarked $5.2 billion for projects in the Fort Worth area and $11.5 billion earmarked for projects around Dallas. This 10-year investment is part of $142 billion that will be poured into Texas roadways.