Texas is the second largest state in the country. However, with 683,533 miles of roads, it ranks #1 in the US. 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 car crashes in Texas in the first half of 2025 alone.
When such numbers are put into a broader context, it means that at least one person has been killed on Texas roadways every day since 2020. An analysis of the Ross and Scalise The law firm estimates that about 62% of deaths occur on highways and freeways alone. Some stretches, such as the infamous 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 factor contributing to approximately one-third of all traffic fatalities in Texas. Expansive roads, high speed limits, heavy commercial truck traffic, a population of more than 30 million people and poor response times in rural areas all contribute to an environment where high-speed accidents are more likely to occur.
Speed, infrastructure and traffic in Texas
Although the standard speed limit in Texas is 75 miles per hour, some sections of highways and freeways are actually limited to 80 or even 85 miles per hour. For example, on I-10 and I-20, the maximum legal speed is 80 mph. In Washington, DC, the speed limit is 50 miles per hour. At a speed of 80 km/h, a typical passenger vehicle will probably come to a complete stop after about 50 to 60 meters. At 80 miles per hour, that increases to 439 or 614 feet.
In itself this does not lead to higher accident rates. However, it does mean that higher speeds reduce reaction time and can make an accident much more serious. When we also consider that Texas has a deadly speed problem, it is easy to understand why the roads are considered so dangerous. Road infrastructure and quality also play a role.
According to Construction coverageAbout 16% of major roads in Texas are in poor condition. The national average is 13%, making the highways rougher than most. Texas is also the second busiest state when it comes to traffic, after California. Additionally, nearly 25% of all traffic in Texas flows through the interstate network, even though highways represent about 2.3% of all roads in the state.
Deadliest Highways in Texas
A detailed analysis by Ross Law Group (RLG) found that approximately 78 stretches of Texas highways (just 0.58% of the total) suffered nearly 1,473 fatalities between 2013 and 2015. According to the analysis, the deadliest stretch was a mile-long stretch of I-69C in Edinburg — 12 deaths and 8.05 fatalities per mile. RLG reported that the causes include high traffic, sudden speed changes and a somewhat confusing layout.
In addition to I-69C, I-30 also had a high rate of 7.05 fatalities per mile. TruckInfo conducted a study to determine which roads were the worst for speeding, and I-30 was among the most dangerous. According to ValuePenguinAccording to the analysis of six years of data, I-10, I-35 and I-20 were all among the most dangerous. As reported by PMR lawA study using crash data from the Accident Data Center shows that I-45 is the most dangerous of all U.S. highways.
Texas is investing billions in pointless highway expansions, and while that may help reduce traffic congestion in the short term, it doesn’t necessarily make the highways safer. On a more positive note, Texas’ 2026 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) from TxDOT aims to reduce fatalities by targeting the state’s most dangerous roadways with data-driven safety improvements.
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