Scotty MacLean Personal Injury Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Driving accidents are the leading cause of death in the US of people ages 3 to 34, and traffic accidents have claimed more than 30 million lives since the first fatal crash was recorded in 1899 (Data source:  Manuel-Logan, Ruth.  The Most Dangerous Roads in America: Have You Traveled Them? http://www.examiner.com/x-696-Auto-Examiner~y2009m4d28-The-most-dangerous-roads- in-America--Have-you-traveled-them).  In fact, interstate 30 in Dallas, and interstate 10 through Houston have been cited in the top ten most dangerous roads in America (Manuel-Logan). 

Heavy traffic and improper road signage are two qualities that can make a road dangerous.  Visual blocks, such as overgrown trees obscuring changes in the road or traffic signals, can also make driving dangerous.  Roads that are not properly maintained are dangerous.  They can have slick surfaces, pot holes, uneven levels, ruts, and loose gravel.  These conditions can cause a car to spin out, lose traction, or move in unexpected ways.  In response to such conditions drivers might turn improperly, lose control of their vehicle, and cause accidents.  Additionally, badly maintained roads can damage a vehicle so it may not operate in a safe manner.

In Fort Worth, there were 13,516 accidents involving injury in 2007, with 79 of them resulting in fatalities (Texas Department of Transportation).  Although most Fort Worth accidents happen during the daytime in perfect weather, there are conditions and drivers that make roads more dangerous.  Animals on the roads, unsafe lane changes, disregard for road signs, speeding, and driver inattentiveness are all major contributing factors in Texas accidents (Texas Department of Transportation).  The age group of Texas drivers with the highest accident numbers is 19 year olds, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. 

Rural roads are more dangerous than urban for collisions with large trucks, and 34% of all crashes between large trucks and automobiles occur at night (Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/CarrierResearchResults/PDFs/LargeTruckCrashFacts2007.pdf ). 

Rural roads may also be more unsafe in inclement weather situations because they may be located near arroyos, on flood plains, have a poor maintenance history, and have fewer road signs.

This information is supplied to you by Fort Worth truck accident attorneys at:
Jose, Henry, Brantley, MacLean and Alvarado
675 North Henderson St.
Fort Worth, TX  76107
Toll Free: (866) 415-1871