El Paso is the most populous city in West Texas, with nearly 700,000 people in the city known for its Spanish architecture, international cuisine, and art museums. Residents of El Paso must be wary when driving around the city to avoid catastrophic car accidents.
Reckless drivers in El Paso can cause car accidents through negligent driving behavior like distracted driving, speeding, and drunk driving. Some common locations for El Paso car accidents are intersections and dangerous highways like Interstate 10.
If you’re involved in an El Paso accident that causes a severe injury, you could file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. An El Paso car accident lawyer can help you negotiate an insurance settlement that compensates you for damages like medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
El Paso Car Accident Statistics
Car accidents are dangerous personal injury accidents that can happen in El Paso if drivers are not careful. They result from a driver losing control of their vehicle or not paying attention and crashing into another vehicle, resulting in the victim suffering blunt-force trauma.
El Paso accident victims can suffer severe injuries from a direct blow from another vehicle, striking a hard object inside or outside the car, penetrating trauma from sharp objects, and whiplash. Some common car accident injuries El Paso victims can experience include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), broken bones, and back and neck injuries.
The following are some El Paso car accident statistics:
- There were about 13,700 car accidents in 2021
- El Paso had 794 truck accidents in 2021
- Rear-end accidents were most common, with 4,900 of these crashes
- 3,166 car accidents in El Paso caused a severe injury or fatality
- There were 32 car accident fatalities and 124 car accident severe injury victims
What Causes El Paso Car Accidents?
El Paso has many traffic accidents because of the city’s status as a major land port. Many drivers from the US and Mexico pass through El Paso to cross the border for the two to trade goods. About 20% of land trade between the two countries comes through El Paso.
With a large number of trucks passing through the city regularly, there can be congested streets and roads that lead to traffic accidents. Drivers who make mistakes in heavy traffic can cause car accidents that expose victims to serious injury risks.
According to the El Paso Police Department, another contributing factor to El Paso car accidents is negligent driving. They suggest that drivers who speed contribute most to El Paso car accidents, as nearly 60% of drivers who crashed under 35 did so because of speeding.
The following are some other reckless driving behaviors that can cause El Paso accidents:
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Road rage
- Failing to use turn signals
- Running red lights
- Turning right when it is not allowed
- Failing to observe the right of way
When Do Most El Paso Accidents Occur?
According to Texas’ Crash Records Information System (CRSI), the most dangerous months for El Paso drivers are August, September, and October. These months each had over 1,200 car accidents in El Paso during 2021. These months have many people on the road for summer vacations and returning to school for fall classes.
The most dangerous day of the week for El Paso drivers in 2021 was Friday. This is because many people go out to enjoy their weekend starting on Friday, which can lead to reckless driving behavior. Friday had 240 more car accidents than Wednesday, which was the second-most dangerous day for car accidents.
Most El Paso car accidents happen during the daytime, starting around 1 p.m. until about 5 or 6 p.m. This is the afternoon rush hour period when most people will commute home from work or school. This period has the most people on the road, meaning more opportunities for drivers to make mistakes that cause car accidents.
Most El Paso Accidents Occur at Intersections
Texas’ CRSI suggests that the most dangerous place for El Paso drivers is at intersections. 56.9% of El Paso accidents happen at intersections. These intersection crashes can happen because of the high amount of information drivers must consider at intersections.
They must track how many lanes there are, which lanes advance through the intersection, what traffic control signals regulate traffic, and where pedestrians and bicyclists pass through the intersection. Not assessing this information properly or driving through the intersection without worrying about it can cause an intersection accident.
The following are some of El Paso’s most dangerous intersections:
- US-180/US-62/Montana Avenue
- TX-20/Mesa Street
- US-54 BUS/Dyer Street
- TX-659/Zaragoza Road
In 2020, the city of El Paso released a car crash map showing dangerous intersections in the city. The map showed the most dangerous intersection was near the Border Highway at the intersection of Paisano and San Antonio. There was a crash there in June 2020 that caused seven fatalities, leading to El Paso instituting new safety measures to prevent crashes.
Interstate 10 is One of the Most Dangerous Locations for El Paso Drivers
Interstate 10 is a highway that stretches coast to coast from California to Florida. Some major cities that I-10 passes through include Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso.
Highways are always dangerous for drivers, as they have high-speed limits and can have congested traffic. It’s easy for a negligent driver to lose focus for a second and come into contact with another vehicle.
I-10 is the most dangerous highway for El Paso drivers because of the lack of barriers. Unsafe drivers can cross over the center line and cause a catastrophic car accident. El Paso drivers who do this can be held liable for damages in a car accident claim.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your El Paso Car Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our El Paso car accident lawyers can use their experience to help you recover fair compensation for car accident damages. Some damages they can help you pursue include medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Our car accident attorneys can use their experience with car accident claims and knowledge of Texas car accident laws to put you in the best position to recover fair compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Contact us for a free El Paso car accident consultation at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
