Car Accident Data for Austin 2021 & 2022

The city of Austin is known for its incredible food and exciting live music venues, but in recent years, it has also become known for the dangers it poses to motorists traveling on the city’s roadways. Despite implementing programs such as the “Vision Zero Program” to combat tragic accidents on Austin’s roads, the accident data remains disheartening. Whether you drive in the city regularly or have recently been a victim of an Austin car accident, here is some data to hopefully prevent future fatalities:

 

Austin Car Accident Data

While the city of Austin is seeing slight improvements in 2022, the year 2021 resulted in poor numbers for Austin’s motorists. The data shows that car accidents reached critical numbers over the year. In fact, more than 11 people died each day in traffic-related accidents in major Texas cities in 2021. These deaths only contributed to the staggering streak that the state of Texas maintains – a 21-year daily streak of at least one traffic death per day. While the city of Austin is seeing slight improvements in 2022, the year 2021 resulted in poor numbers for Austin’s motorists. The data shows that car accidents reached critical numbers over the year. In fact, more than 11 people died each day in traffic-related accidents in major Texas cities in 2021. These deaths only contributed to the staggering streak that the state of Texas maintains – a 21-year daily streak of at least one traffic death per day.

Travel Mode Data

Breaking down the statistics by travel mode, motorists (people who operate a car) experienced the most accidents. The year 2021 saw a total of 403 “serious” or fatal accidents in Austin, an increase from the 347 seen in 2020. Of the 403 accidents, 55 were fatal and 348 were classified as serious. As the second-most victimized car accident group, pedestrians were involved in 112 fatal and serious accidents, with 42 being fatal and 70 being classified as serious. Being the group that experienced the fewest accidents, motorcyclists and bicyclists still suffered from roadway misfortune. Motorcyclists saw 81 total fatal and serious accidents, an increase from 55 total accidents in 2020. Bicyclists experienced 31 of these types of accidents, also an increase from the 26 recorded in 2020. 14 motorcyclists and 4 bicyclists died as a result of these accidents, and 67 motorcyclists were seriously injured – up from 49 in 2020 – while 27 bicyclists were seriously injured – up from 22 in 2020.

Time of Day

The time of day also indicated a role in 2021’s Austin car accidents, with some times seeing drastically more accidents than others. In 2021, the weekends saw increased numbers of accidents, particularly on Sundays. The most fatal time of the week in Austin occurred between 1 AM and 3 AM on Sunday mornings. Saturdays between 1 AM and 2 AM were almost as equally serious. Here were the other accident-prone times: Friday evenings at 11 PM, Thursday mornings at 7 AM, Wednesday evenings at 5 PM and 11 PM, Tuesday afternoons at 1 PM, and Monday afternoons at 2 PM.

By Population and Demographics

Per 100,000 people in Austin, the car accident rate was 62.7 in 2021, an increase from 51.4 in 2020. The low car accident rate in 2020 could be a result of the COVID-19 pandemic allowing more people to work from home instead of commuting into an office every day. The car accident rate in 2021 was more on par with years past; 2019’s rate was 65.7, and 2018’s was 64.

Car Accidents by Age

Age played a corresponding role in 2021’s accident data as well. Here’s what Austin car accidents looked like, broken down into age groups:
  • Motorists ages 16-25 made up 24.4% of fatal and serious car accidents,
  • Motorists ages 26-35 made up 26.1% of fatal and serious car accidents,
  • Motorists ages 36-45 made up 16.4% of fatal and serious car accidents,
  • Motorists ages 46-55 made up 11.5% of fatal and serious car accidents,
  • And motorists ages 55-64 made up 9.6% of fatal and serious car accidents.
(Note that people ages 0-15 and 65 or older experienced the fewest number of car accidents.)

Car Accidents by Gender

Gender data was also recorded for accident victims and responsible parties. In 2021, Austin men were responsible for a majority of the accidents – 65.4% to be exact – while women were responsible for 34.2%. This seems to be an accurate trend dating back to 2018. In each of the last five years, Austin males have been responsible for more accidents than female motorists.

2022 to Date

While the year 2022 is not yet over, we are seeing similarities to the deadly year of 2021 on Austin roadways. So far, the data has shown six fatalities and 37 accidents in which an individual sustained serious injuries. There are a total of 1,059 accidents (both serious and non-serious), which is more than 2021 had experienced up to this same point in the calendar year. While the trends are showing a decrease in some areas, like total fatalities and total years lost of life to date, note that Austin has only recorded accident information through January 31, meaning these numbers could be positively skewed.

What the Data Means

This data is not meant to scare you off the roads altogether. Driving is a necessary mode of transportation for many Austin residents, so we provide this data to hopefully arm drivers with knowledge to prevent future accidents. Motorists can see when peak accident hours are and which types of vehicle operators are more prone to collisions. This data also allows motorists to learn what can and should be done in the event of an accident. If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident in the area, an Austin accident lawyer is your best bet to receive satisfactory compensation for damages. The Austin car accident attorneys at Sandoval & James have helped numerous victims of car accidents and possess the experience and local knowledge needed to help individuals with their claims.

 

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