Texas Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where Texas Traffic Deaths Happen

TxDOT counted 3,769 traffic deaths in Texas in 2025, down from 4,159 the year before and the lowest total since 2019. That’s still about ten people a day. More than a third died on U.S. and state highways, while interstates, the roads most people picture first, accounted for fewer than one in five, and rural areas carried about half of the toll.

Harris County had the most deaths of any county in 2025, with 503, followed by Dallas County with 274, according to TxDOT’s county figures. The state’s 2022 to 2027 Strategic Highway Safety Plan targets speeding, impaired and distracted driving, intersections, and cars leaving the road, along with people walking and biking. And Texas hasn’t had a single day without a traffic death since November 7, 2000, a streak that has cost more than 91,000 lives, TxDOT says.

The Texas Highways Where Crashes Keep Happening

Ask anyone who drives here for a living and they’ll name the same handful of roads. Here they are, with figures wherever a primary source has published them.

1. Interstate 35: Laredo to the Red River

I-35 runs the length of the state, from the border at Laredo through San Antonio, Austin and Waco, then splits into I-35E through Dallas and I-35W through Fort Worth before rejoining at Denton. As the main freight route to Mexico, it carries a constant line of 18-wheelers, and construction has been part of the drive for years in Austin, San Antonio and Waco.

In north Austin, the stretch between Wells Branch Parkway and Tech Ridge Boulevard saw 10 fatal crashes that killed 14 people from 2022 to March 2025, including five pedestrians, according to Austin police data reported by KXAN.

2. Interstate 10: Houston to San Antonio

I-10 crosses the whole state, from Orange on the Louisiana line through Houston, San Antonio and out to El Paso. The best-known piece is the Katy Freeway on Houston’s west side, then the run west through Katy, Columbus and Seguin, where commuter traffic thins out and speeds climb.

Anyone who’s driven the I-10 and West Loop 610 interchange knows the drill: lanes that end, exits on both sides and drivers diving across several lanes at once. Out west, long empty stretches and high speed limits invite fatigue, and drifting off the road is one of the most common ways Texans die. TxDOT counted 1,201 run-off-road deaths in 2025.

3. Interstate 45: Galveston to Dallas

I-45 links Galveston, Houston, Conroe, Huntsville and Dallas. Inside Houston it’s the North Freeway, and the section from downtown up to the North Loop (Loop 610) is old and tight, with left-hand exits and short merges.

TxDOT’s North Houston Highway Improvement Project documents counted 234 crashes on I-45 between I-10 and Loop 610 in 2018 alone, 79 of them fatal or injury crashes. The rebuild aims to cut down on short weaving areas and remove or fix left-hand ramps. Our Houston car accident guide covers the city’s other trouble spots and how to get a Houston police report.

4. U.S. 59 (I-69): Houston to Laredo and Cleveland

U.S. 59 runs southwest out of Houston as the Southwest Freeway, through Sugar Land, Rosenberg and Victoria on the way to Laredo, and northeast through Humble and Cleveland toward East Texas. Long sections now carry I-69 signs while upgrades continue, so drivers move between modern freeway and older highway with crossovers and driveways.

The northeast stretch to Cleveland mixes fast commuter traffic with logging and freight trucks, and south of Rosenberg it’s mostly rural.

5. Interstate 20: Dallas-Fort Worth to Midland-Odessa

I-20 comes in from Louisiana, crosses the southern side of Dallas-Fort Worth and heads west through Abilene and Big Spring to Midland and Odessa. West of Fort Worth the truck share climbs, and in the Permian Basin oilfield traffic packs a highway that wasn’t built for it.

TxDOT has a $1.5 billion widening of I-20 underway in the Permian Basin, adding main lanes, new interchanges and one-way frontage roads. Expect lane shifts between Odessa and Midland for a while.

6. U.S. 75 (Central Expressway): Dallas to Sherman

U.S. 75 is Central Expressway through Dallas, then the main road north through Richardson, Plano, Allen and McKinney to Sherman and Denison. Where it crosses LBJ Freeway (I-635), the five-level High Five interchange moves a huge volume of traffic.

NBC 5’s review of TxDOT records found fatal crashes on U.S. 75 in Dallas went up by six in 2025, the exception to a citywide drop. TxDOT and the city have lowered the speed limit on one stretch north of downtown. Our Dallas car accident guide explains how to get a report from Dallas police.

7. Loop 1604: San Antonio’s Outer Loop

Loop 1604 is San Antonio’s outer loop, and the north side, near U.S. 281 and I-10, has filled in with subdivisions faster than the road could keep up. TxDOT is spending $1.4 billion to widen 23 miles of Loop 1604 from Bandera Road (SH 16) to I-35, taking it from four lanes to ten and replacing the old I-10 cloverleaf.

On the far East Side, where the loop is still a rural highway, the Schuwirth Road intersection has only flashing lights and stop signs. TxDOT data reported by KSAT shows crashes there climbing every year since 2020.

8. U.S. 287: Fort Worth to Amarillo

U.S. 287 angles northwest from Fort Worth through Decatur, Bowie, Wichita Falls, Vernon and Childress to Amarillo. It’s the Panhandle’s main link to Dallas-Fort Worth, and grain trucks, oilfield traffic and Colorado-bound travelers all share it.

Long, straight miles invite speeding and tired driving, and crosswinds, dust and winter ice catch drivers off guard.

More High-Crash Locations Across Texas

The big interstates get the attention, but many of the worst spots are city streets and local highways. These have published figures from city or TxDOT data.

Some of these are getting fixes. Houston City Council accepted a federal grant of about $28 million in December 2025 to rebuild seven miles of Bissonnet with better crosswalks, lighting, bike lanes and turn lanes, with construction expected to start in spring 2027. In Dallas, NBC 5 reports TxDOT is adding traffic signals at 16 spots on Loop 12, and the city and TxDOT have lowered the speed limit on parts of the road. And at Loop 1604 and Schuwirth, TxDOT is requiring nearby developers to widen the road and put in signals, though no finish date has been set.

How to Stay Safe on Texas’ Most Dangerous Roads

You can’t avoid these roads, but you can drive them knowing where the trouble is.

For Drivers:

1. Watch your speed: Speeding is one of the top problems in the state’s safety plan. Stick to the limit on I-35 and I-45, and slow down further in heavy traffic or rain.
2. Give trucks room: On I-20 in the Permian Basin and I-35 south of San Antonio, you’re surrounded by 18-wheelers. Stay out of their blind spots and don’t cut in close.
3. Stay awake on long runs: On U.S. 287 or I-10 west of San Antonio, fatigue and drifting off the road kill a lot of people. Stop every couple of hours.
4. Plan your exits: At interchanges like I-10 and Loop 610 or the High Five, get into your lane early instead of cutting across traffic at the last second.
5. Slow down in work zones: I-35 through Austin and Loop 1604 have been under construction for years. Expect lane shifts and sudden stops.
6. Never drive impaired: TxDOT linked 906 deaths to alcohol-impaired crashes in 2025, about one in four. Get a ride.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at signals: On wide streets like Westheimer, Bissonnet or Culebra, crossing mid-block leaves drivers almost no time to stop.
2. Stay off the freeway and frontage roads: Several of the deaths on I-35 in north Austin were people on foot. Use overpasses and marked crossings.
3. Be visible at night: Wear something light or reflective, and wait until a car has stopped before you step out.

For Cyclists:

1. Use bike lanes and trails: Where protected lanes or trails exist, use them.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights, even at dusk. TxDOT counted 91 cyclists killed in 2025.
3. Watch turning drivers: Right-turning cars at busy intersections are a common hazard. Make eye contact before you go.

General Tips:

1. Buckle up, every seat: Nearly half of the people killed in Texas in 2025 who could have been belted were not, TxDOT says.
2. Check the weather: Flash flooding in Houston and San Antonio, and ice on the Panhandle highways, catch drivers every year. Turn around, don’t drown.
3. Check conditions before you go: DriveTexas.org or a navigation app will show crashes, closures and construction in real time.

What to Do If You’re Injured in a Texas Car Accident

A crash on I-35, Loop 12 or Westheimer can turn your week upside down. What you do in the first hours and days matters for your health and your finances.

1. Call 911. Even if no one looks badly hurt, get police to the scene so there’s an official crash report. Ask for an ambulance if anyone is injured.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away. Go to the ER or urgent care, then follow up with your own doctor.
3. Document the scene if it’s safe. Photograph the vehicles, damage, plates, skid marks, signs and road conditions. Get witnesses’ names and numbers, and trade insurance information without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurer may call quickly. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report and know your options.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed work, and every letter or email from an insurer.

Who has your report depends on where the crash happened. City police handle crashes inside city limits. Outside them, the county sheriff or DPS Highway Patrol troopers respond, and TxDOT keeps crash records for the whole state. Our Texas crash report guide explains how to get a copy from each.

Can’t tell which agency took the report, or would rather skip the paperwork? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.

Texas Crash Hot Spot Questions

More Texas Crash Guides

City crash guides: Houston, TX · Dallas, TX · Fort Worth, TX · Austin, TX

County accident news: Harris County · Dallas County · Bexar County · Tarrant County · Travis County · Collin County · El Paso County · Lubbock County

Nearby states: Oklahoma crash hot spots · Louisiana crash hot spots · New Mexico crash hot spots

For the latest, crashes from around the state are posted in Texas accident news and our recent accident alerts.