If you feel driving in Dallas can be scary, new numbers show you're right. NBC 5 investigates Dallas' traffic fatality rate was found to be the worst among America's 10 largest cities over a five-year period.
NBC 5 investigates An analysis of the most recent five years of available federal highway traffic safety data found that from 2017 to 2021, Dallas averaged about 15 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people. This puts Dallas just above Phoenix as the U.S. city with the highest traffic fatality rate of any city over 2017. 1 million people.
Additionally, Dallas' traffic fatality rate is 27% higher than Houston, 22% higher than Fort Worth, and 51% higher than Los Angeles. But even more surprising is the sheer number of lives lost on the streets of Dallas.
If you feel driving in Dallas can be scary, new numbers show you're right. An NBC 5 investigation found that Dallas has the worst traffic fatality rate of America's 10 largest cities for more than five years. We are launching a major effort to understand why so many people are left to die on the streets. NBC 5 senior investigative reporter Scott Friedman has some surprising answers and tough questions for city and state leaders.
Ann NBC 5 investigates A review of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) accident data found that more than 1,000 people have died in traffic accidents in Dallas alone since 2019, and more than 5,600 have been seriously injured.
Across the 19 counties that make up NBC5's North Texas viewing area, more than 4,300 people died on the roads and more than 20,000 were seriously injured in less than five years from 2019 to present.
In the future, the number of deaths and serious injuries in this region will exceed the seats at American Airlines Center within five years.
To see what causes dangerous crashes and where they occur most often, visit NBC 5 investigates used TxDOT crash data to map the locations of all fatal and serious injury crashes since 2019. Our maps reveal where fatalities and serious injuries occur repeatedly.
We've included all the crash data below so you can see where the most injuries and fatalities occurred.
Crashes resulting in deaths and serious injuries in North Texas October 2019 April 2023
NBC 5 Investigates used data from the Texas Department of Public Safety to map all fatal and serious injury crashes in North Texas. TXDOT collects data from Texas Peace Officer Collision Reports (CR-3). TXDOT advises law enforcement agencies that “any collision involving a motor vehicle in transit that occurs or occurs on a roadway resulting in personal injury or death, or damage to property of a single person in the range of $1,000. We are asking you to report the case. ” The data compiled in this map is from January 1, 2019 to October 4, 2023.
Our TxDOT data analysis also revealed that speed is the number one factor in fatal crashes in the City of Dallas. Data shows that speed is often combined with other major causes, such as drunk driving and a driver's inability to stay in their lane.
Marcela Soto's life changed forever when her mother's car was destroyed in a high-speed crash in the Woodall Rogers Tunnel.
Her mother, Reina Salazar, was a nurse returning home from a night shift in February when a car driven by a teenage boy crashed into her at high speed, killing her, witnesses said.
“The numbers are too high. And now my mother is one of them,” Soto said. “And that's the hardest pill to swallow.”
Soto said coming to terms with the fact that her mother is no longer here and that her children have lost their grandmother was one of the hardest things she has ever experienced. She's now very aware of how fast some people are driving on Dallas streets, and she said it's upsetting, especially when children are in the car. .
So, what are the street speeds in Dallas?
NBC 5 investigates conducted a speed study and measured drivers' travel time on Dallas roads, which have seen a high number of speed-related fatalities since 2019. With the help of NBC 5 colleague Don Peritz, a former traffic sergeant with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, we measured the speeds of some drivers. Afternoon freeway traffic is 160 mph.
Within minutes of starting speed measurements on the CF Horn Freeway south of downtown, one driver was clocked going 112 mph, almost 50 mph over the 65 mph speed limit, in broad daylight. .
According to Texas Department of Transportation records, 11 people have died along the CF Horn at North Prairie Creek Road in the last five years, and nearly all of those accidents were speed-related.
More than 100 cars were measured at the location and 9 out of 10 were traveling over the 100 km/h speed limit. Four out of 10 people were traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit.
As we criss-crossed Dallas to gather information for this report, dashboard-mounted cameras captured images of some of the behavior viewers complained about on Dallas roads. – Breakthrough speeds, amazing lane changes, cars riding on bumpers, and more that some drivers feel they need to speed up or risk running off the road.
Stories of high speeds and aggressive driving were not limited to the freeway. On Dallas city streets, we also measured drivers traveling at highway speeds.
On a straight stretch of Buckner Boulevard in Pleasant Grove, our speed check found speed limits of 40 mph and 50 mph on a busy city street with heavy pedestrian traffic and crowded store and restaurant entrances. It turned out that there were several drivers going well over 60 mph and even 60 mph. .
Speed matters because studies show that every increase in speed of more than 10 miles per hour increases the risk of death or serious injury in a crash.
“It's very frustrating, but it happens all the time in this city,” said Max Keim, who survived one of the types of crashes we often see on the freeway. The accident occurred only in a residential area.
Witnesses said Keim was driving on M Street when the driver, who had a high-performance engine, hit the gas pedal and lost control of the vehicle. The car crashed into Kayem's SUV, and both cars ended up in the front yard of a home.
“One thing I remember is the high-pitched sound of him hitting me. I can still hear that sound,” Keim said.
The collision broke Kayyem's sternum, shattered her wrist and left her with permanent damage.
“I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's very, very scary,” Keim said.
This crash has left victims like Kayem and Soto wondering what safety features are missing here in North Texas, and is there a way to calm down speeds on Dallas roads? There is.
To answer that question, NBC 5 investigates We reached out to people researching road safety strategies. Some say that many roads feel like racetracks because they are designed and built that way.
“This is dangerous by design,” said David Zipper, a visiting fellow at Harvard University and an expert on transportation policy and road safety. “They're driving that fast because they feel the road is inviting them to do so.”
Zipper said research increasingly shows that wide lanes on roads increase speeds, and the most effective way to reduce dangerous speeds is often to narrow lanes and allow drivers to slow down naturally. He said that it is necessary to change the shape of the road.
So we pick up the story on Monday night. We take a look at some of Dallas' deadliest streets and why they're making bolder moves to address high speeds, including innovative design changes, traffic-calming measures, increased speed enforcement, and safe places for pedestrians to cross. I would like to ask if any further action has been taken. Also, what has happened since the Dallas City Council pledged to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries in seven years by implementing international safety strategies that other cities have adopted to reduce crashes. I also ask.
To see what's possible, NBC 5 investigates I even traveled to other countries to see how revolutionary changes in road design are making a difference for both drivers and pedestrians.
“It means a lot to me to see that number go down, knowing that our streets are safer,” Soto said.
Part 2 of this story airs Mondays at 10pm only on NBC 5.
Do you know about dangerous roads?
I need your strength. If you've identified a road where drivers are speeding or crashes are common, please email him the location at iSee@nbcdfw.com. In future reports, we will ask local leaders how they can address issues in other areas.
