Houston is home to some of the most dangerous roadways in America. This starts with I-45, the deadliest highway in the United States, but it does not stop there. Houston is also home to three of Texas’ 10 deadliest roads. Vehicle collisions occur on almost all of Houston’s streets, but some intersections tend to be more dangerous than others.
In the United States, about 40% of all car crashes occur at or near intersections. So, it is no surprise that most of Houston’s traffic incidents happen at the city’s intersections. The following are 11 of the most dangerous intersections in Houston:
- I-45 and the feeder road at Chartres Street
- I-45 and Greens Road
- 610 Loop and North McCarty Drive
- Aldine Bender Road and John F Kennedy Boulevard
- Beechnut Street and Sam Houston Parkway
- Bissonnet Street and Sam Houston Parkway
- East Freeway Frontage Road and Gellhorn Drive
- Highway 225 between Shaver and Scarborough Lane
- Main Street and Sam Houston Parkway
- Main Street and South Loop
- Westheimer Road and Sam Houston Parkway
Recently, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA-FARS) reported on The Most Dangerous Highways in the US. Out of the 50 most dangerous roads in the United States, three of Houston’s roadways are in the ranks. These roads include:
- I-10: Ranked as the 5th most dangerous road in the U.S.
- US-59: Ranked as the 23rd most dangerous road in the U.S.
- US-290: Ranked as the 35th most dangerous road in the U.S.
The most dangerous section of I-10 stretches through Harris County and Houston.
The Statistics Behind Houston’s Most Dangerous Intersections
According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Houston saw 65,931 car accidents in 2023. More than 20,000 of these vehicle collisions involved injuries. Tragically, more than 250 of these accidents involved fatalities.
Houston Reports Highest Number of Non-Fatal Accidents
As the statistics state, many Houston vehicle collisions do not end in death. However, most of these non-fatal accidents do tend to happen in clusters in the same areas.
The roads where the highest numbers of non-fatal crashes occur include:
- Airline Drive
- Antoine Drive
- Beechnut Road
- Bellaire Boulevard
- Bisonette Street
- Clay Road
- Cullen Boulevard
- Fondren Road
- Fry Road
- Garth Road
- Hillcroft Avenue
- Kuykendahl Road
- Louttea Road
- Main Street
- North Shephard Drive
- South Post Oak Road
- Veterans Memorial Drive
- West Little York Road
- West Tidwell Road
- Westheimer Road
Annually, these roads see hundreds, sometimes thousands, of non-fatal car crashes.
Houston’s Increase in Deadly Traffic Accidents
In 2021, statistics compiled from national and state highway departments found I-45 to be one of the three deadliest interstates in the country. Interstate 45 runs through Houston, heading north from Galveston to Dallas. Data shows that every 100 miles of roadway has seen almost 60 fatal accidents. Certain sections of I-45 consistently make the most dangerous national and Texas roadways.
From 2020 to 2021, Houston outpaced all other Texas cities with a more than 20% increase in fatal crashes. In 2021, Texas had more than 4,100 fatal vehicle collisions. These collisions claimed 4,480 lives. This is a 14% increase from 2020, which reported 3,578 fatal crashes and 3,932 fatalities.
In 2021, Houston had 330 of these fatalities, up from 275 in 2020. This increase can be attributed in part to the hazards of I-45.
The Dangers of Houston’s Intersections
Houston motorists can be involved in hundreds of types of car accidents, from rear-end collisions to t-bone accidents on any given day. A sizable percentage of these occur at or near an intersection because there are so many variables involved with intersections.
In many cases, motorists are traveling in four different directions, all meeting at intersections. Pedestrians cross the road at intersections and have certain rights. Bicyclists encounter the bulk of traffic at intersections. Caution should be the name of the game at intersections.
Often, caution is put aside at intersections, and the rules and laws of Houston’s roadways are forgotten when approaching and passing through intersections. Yielding the right of way and obeying the traffic signals gets confused.
During these lapses of judgment, so many mishaps can occur, including:
- Drivers trying to beat the yellow lights by speeding up instead of slowing down
- Distracted drivers failing to see bicyclists or pedestrians crossing the road
- Drivers not paying attention while stopped at red lights and getting rear-ended by other vehicles
- Distracted pedestrians walking into oncoming traffic
- Drivers failing to yield the right of way
- Drivers turning right-on-red in violation of posted signage
- Drivers failing to accurately time their left turns in front of oncoming traffic
- Drivers, bicyclists, and/or pedestrians blatantly ignore traffic signals
Motorists often get hurt at Houston’s intersections, but unfortunately, pedestrians and bicyclists tend to get hurt worse.
Pedestrian Accidents in Houston
According to TXDOT’s 2023 crash records, Houston and Harris County saw a five-year high of vehicle collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, with more than 1,500 incidents. Pedestrian fatalities were also up over the last five years, with 152 in 2022 and 146 in 2023, compared to 100 in 2019.
Most pedestrian accidents and fatalities occur at intersections. In Houston, there are certain intersections that tend to be more dangerous than others. These include:
- Gessner Road and Westview Drive
- Main Street and Pierce Street
- South Voss and Westheimer Road
- West Belfort Avenue and Fondren Road
- Wheeler and Main Street
Rush hour brings pedestrians and vehicles to these intersections in droves. These intersections have multiple lanes traveling in different directions.
In some areas, there are popular shopping locales with separate entrances and exits close to these intersections. As the traffic gets busier and draws more vehicles and pedestrians, the chances of collisions increase.
Some areas of Houston traffic are more congested and above capacity. When this happens, accidents occur more frequently. There is less space to navigate and less time and space to stop vehicles. Slow traffic leads to distracted drivers, and hours spent in rush hour traffic make motorists more likely to engage in risky and dangerous behaviors.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence on the city’s dangerous roads, you will need an experienced Houston car accident lawyer to help you find the right route through the legal system.
J.D. Silva & Associates stands for the victims of Houston and Texas’ roadways. Our team is known for fighting to recover the compensation you need to heal and rebuild your life. Contact us today for a free consultation.