TxDOT marks 25 years of deadly crashes on Texas roads

TEXAS – TxDOT is remembering those who have died on the roadways across Texas.

On Friday, a candlelight vigil was held exactly 25 years since the last day Texas had no deaths on the roads.

By the numbers:

Every day for the past 25 years in Texas, at least one person has died in a crash.

Last year alone, an average of 11 people were killed in vehicle fatalities each day.

According to data from the Texas Department of Transportation, over 91,000 people have died in crashes on roads statewide since November 7, 2000. 

What they’re saying:

TxDOT, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and traffic safety advocates, marked the solemn occasion with a candlelight vigil — in hopes of raising awareness about a tragedy that’s preventable. 

“Year after year, preventable crashes have shattered thousands of people’s lives,” said Eric Bauereis. 

Bauereis lost his 14-year-old son Alexei in a crash in 2016. While walking a friend home one night, his son was hit by a distracted driver as he crossed a four-lane road at a T-intersection. 

“One young man with a promising future died, but hundreds were hurt, and this happens 100 times a year in Austin alone,” said Bauereis. “Double that for Travis County, multiply that back 20 times again for our state of Texas.”

TxDOT says statewide, a variety of factors are behind the number of traffic fatalities, including distracted driving, impaired driving and phone use. 

Representatives for Texas DPS say that in 2024, more than 1,400 people were killed in speed-related vehicle collisions, while one in four traffic fatalities were the result of impaired driving. And DPS says over 1,000 deaths occurred in crashes where the vehicle occupant was not wearing their seatbelt upon impact. 

“These are not random events,” said Bryan Rippee, Texas Highway Patrol Chief. “These are the results of making the wrong choices on our Texas highways.”

In addition to raising awareness about what drivers can do to keep themselves and others safe while behind the wheel, TxDOT is also working to make roads across the state safer with $60 billion of highway upgrades and other construction projects currently underway. 

Those include upgrades like replacing some intersections with roundabouts and adding measures like rumble strips to enhance overall road safety.