Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have some very dangerous intersections. Traffic safety officials are using data and design strategies to improve intersection safety in Texas cities, but drivers are ultimately responsible for their actions behind the wheel.
There can be a lot going on at an intersection. Actions like turning and crossing multiple lanes of traffic create the potential for confusion, miscommunication, and conflict. Intersection accidents can leave drivers and their insurance companies struggling to figure out who is to blame for a crash. When in doubt, get in touch with a car accident lawyer.
Intersection Crashes Are the Second Most Common Texas Car Crash
According to the Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), more than one-third of all serious car crash injuries involve an intersection crash. Over a six-year period, crashes at intersections were blamed for nearly 5,000 fatal crashes (23% of all fatal crashes) and 34,000 serious injury crashes (37% of all serious injuries).
Intersection crashes are the second most common type of motor vehicle crash in Texas, trailing only roadway and lane departure crashes. A deeper dive into Texas SHSP intersection crash data reveals the following trends:
- 56% of Texas intersection crashes occur on state roads; 44% occur on city and county roads
- 74% of intersection crashes are urban; 26% are rural
- Failure to yield right of way is the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries.
- Other common factors are:
- Speed: 24%
- Disregarding a traffic signal or light: 22%
- Distracted Driver: 20%
- DUI/DWI: 14%
Trends like these provide good places to start when investigating the cause of an intersection accident.
Dangerous Dallas Intersections
Dallas has some strange-looking intersections. And many of them are downright dangerous.
Vision Zero Dallas, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and reduce severe traffic injuries, issued a 2021 survey to gauge the perceived safety of Dallas streets. More than half of respondents said they do not feel safe traveling in Dallas. They cited challenges like people running red lights and stop signs, poor or blocked views at intersections, and confusing streets.
The most dangerous intersections in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to TxDOT data cited by NBC 5, are:
- I-635 (LBJ Freeway) and Skillman Street (Dallas)
- Henderson Street and Weatherford Street (Fort Worth)
- South Sherman Street and Spring Valley Road (Richardson)
- U.S. 75 and I-635 (Dallas)
Dangerous Houston Intersections
A few different publications (including Aceable and Outdoorsy) put Dallas ahead of Houston when it comes to the most dangerous cities for drivers. But as locals know, driving in Houston is no picnic.
Research from the University of Houston identifies the following intersections as the most dangerous in the city (based on the number of reported crashes):
- Bissonnet Street and Westchester Avenue
- Clay Road and Barker Cypress Road
- FM 1960 and W. Lake Houston Parkway
- Highway 6 and Bellaire Boulevard
- Highway 6 and Westheimer Road
- Main Street and Montrose Boulevard
- Pease Street and Fannin Street
- S. Gessner Road and Westpark Drive
- Spencer Road and Highway 6
- Treaschwig Road and FM 1960
Needless to say, Houston has no lack of dangerous intersections.
Dangerous San Antonio Intersections
San Antonio is a safer place to drive than Dallas or Houston—but not by much. The city’s drivers still rank among the worst in Texas and the worst in the country.
Like Houston and Dallas, San Antonio has embraced Vision Zero. This Vision Zero crash map shows where San Antonio car crashes tend to cluster. A large number of crashes occur within the city core; along the northern portions of Loop 410 and IH-10; along south IH-35; and along the northern part of Loop 1604.
San Antonio intersections notorious for accidents include:
- Highway 151 & Loop 410
- Bandera Road & Loop 1604
- Loop 1604 & Highway 281
- Loop 410 & San Pedro Avenue
- IH 10 & Loop 1604
- Rigsby Avenue & Loop 410
- Loop 410 & Old Seguin Road
- IH 35 & Walzem Road
- State Highway 151 & West Military Drive
- Alamo Ranch Parkway & Westwood Loop
Intersection Accident? Get Help.
Intersection accidents can quickly become “he said, she said” cases. Intersections often have cameras, and these may be a source of visual evidence, along with eyewitness testimony and a police report. But if there is any dispute over who was at fault, the insurance claim can drag out and leave you searching for answers–and compensation.
Jim Adler & Associates has helped thousands of Texans get the help they need after an accident. To discuss your claim with a car accident lawyer, free of charge, please call 1-800-505-1414 or send us a message.
