Mcgilberry & Shirer Launch Motor Vehichle Fatality Data Dashboard
Texas has a reputation for having some of the most dangerous roads in the country, but just how dangerous? We wanted to see the total amount of fatalities that occur in the state annually, along with a detailed look at the causes and contributing factors.
With data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Mcgilberry & Shirer developed a Texas crash fatality visual dashboard that provides a deeper breakdown of motor vehicle crash deaths in Texas.
Notable Findings
- In 2016, Texas recorded 3,776 traffic fatalities – an 11.3 percent increase over the previous year.
- Males outnumbered females in traffic fatalities by more than 2 to 1, totaling 71 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths.
- In 2016, there were 897 fatalities that involved alcohol.
- There was a significant annual increase in fatalities across all vehicle types, with the highest occurring among pedestrians – a 22.6 percent increase from 2015.
- Interstate 10 recorded the most traffic fatalities in 2016 with 108, followed by Interstate 35 with 90.
Through this dashboard, the state fatality data can also be filtered by location. The result is an opportunity to look at traffic fatalities at a county and even city level in a convenient, easy-to-read format.
Why We Did This
Although knowing total motor vehicle annual deaths can be a useful statistic, it does not necessarily provide enough insight to make impactful improvements. Additionally, fatality data can often be complicated and difficult to sort through. By presenting this data with greater granularity and in a convenient, straightforward visual format, we can call more attention to any categories that may be considered trouble spots.
We believe that the insights found in this analysis may be a good start to making Texas’ roadways safer for everyone.