High Houston Crash Rate Drives Up Insurance Costs

Insurance Journal ^ | April 20, 2004 | Associated Press

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

The Houston area far exceeds the national average in the number of serious traffic collisions, contributing to skyrocketing medical costs and giving Harris County the most expensive auto insurance rates in Texas, according to the Associated Press.

County officials said one reason drivers in Harris County are at greater risk of collisions is because the area is growing faster than roads can be improved or patrolled. Now area drivers are even crashing into the new MetroRail trains, putting Houston on course to top the national high for light rail collisions.

"We lead the state in crashes no matter how you define them,'' said Ned Levine, transportation safety program coordinator for the Houston-Galveston Area Council. "We are among the worst in the country. I haven't found a metropolitan area that's higher than ours.''

The HGAC has spent nearly three years gathering collision statistics from several local, state and federal agencies.

Among the findings: The eight-county Houston region has an average of 242 serious crashes every day. For every crash involving a death, injury or property damage of at least $1,000, there are two to three times as many minor ones. Houston drivers also are 21/2 times more likely to be hurt or killed in a traffic collision per mile traveled than the national average. Nearly 600 people a year die on the region's highways, and about 90,000 are injured.

The data is has been compiled through 2000, and officials are working on data for 2001, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Safety experts say engineering and enforcement are needed to limit the number of crashes.

Houston's population boom has resulted in more cars on the roads. Highway builders are unable to keep up with the growth and there is not enough mass transit to handle the population. The area also has a large number of illegal immigrants with no driver's licenses or training, the newspaper reported.

Gridlock causes the most accidents on freeway. Experts say as traffic backs up drivers' stress levels build resulting in and increased number of rear-end collisions.

The gridlock-inspired crashes are a statewide phenomena, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

"In the large metropolitan areas, people are in a big hurry to get where they are going, and they feel a lot of pressure to be places,'' said DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange. "They don't leave themselves enough time to get there, so they drive too fast and take a lot of risks that end up contributing to or causing wrecks.''

The Texas Department of Transportation's Houston District has 22 ongoing safety projects, including adding paved shoulders and turn lanes, placing dedicated merge lanes at freeway connectors, constructing new overpasses and replacing signs with a new material that is easier to see at night.

The city and the Transportation Department also are instituting a ban on trucks in the left lane of some freeways.

[Willie Green]

(Houston) Main Street was dangerous before the rail, records show

Revoke their licenses and make 'em ride the Metro.

[Willie Green]

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley...
Ding, ding, ding went the bell...

[Dog Gone]

The train doesn't go anywhere.

Here's a good rule of thumb when driving in Houston. Three cars are permitted to run a red light after the signal changes. If you're the second car, don't stop at the light or you will get hit from the rear.

[Knute]

Think lots of Lincoln Town Cars, all going 90MPH.
I learned to drive in Chicago, but Houston scared me the month I spent there a few years back.

[proxy_user]

In New York City, it was customary to blow your horn before going through a red light.

Then Mayor Giuliani came along....and those who ran red lights were taken to the jailhouse. The supply of violators ran out pretty quickly.

[xsmommy]

did clara harris put them up over the top for the stats...?

[threat matrix]

I thought Chicago was treacherous, until I visted Houston..

[Dog Gone]

Yep, they counted each time she drove over her husband as a separate incident.

;-)

[xsmommy]

ay pobrecita, clarita...she needed better representation. that was so clearly an accident.... ; )

[stationkeeper]

I lived there for 5 years........forget the town cars going 90mph....it is the Suburbans/Tahoes/Yukons and every other known full size SUV going mach 2 or better.

It is the only town I have ever seen where you can be involved in a fatal auto accident in a grocery store parking lot.....

great town, though. Just be very situationally aware whenever you venture on to the freeways.

[Knute]

Perhaps things have changed a little, but when I was there virtually everyone had a cold Lone Star in that free hand.

[mlbford2]

People here in Houston absolutely cannot drive. The soccer moms in their Hummers and Navigator (on the phone of course) mixed with the Hispanics (who drive like maniacs--but amazingly seem to stay out of wrecks), make driving in Houston a real life or death experience. I'm thinking about moving to Atlanta where I hope the drivers are better.

[NJ_gent]

"High Houston Crash Rate Drives Up Insurance Costs"

Heh, cry me a river.

[Still Thinking]

Did the Clara harris thing count as one incident or as three?

[Who dat?]

Perhaps things have changed a little, but when I was there virtually everyone had a cold Lone Star in that free hand.

You better not get caught now. They used to not have open container laws, and you used to be able to drink while driving, just couldn’t be drunk and drive. But yep, it wasn't unusual to see someone driving down the road sipping a beer.

[Ditter]

Houstonions drive too fast. They cut in & out of traffic around the drivers who are obeying the speed limit. The freeways are the same. Impatient people & too much traffic. When you add construction projects that go on forever & badly timed lights, its enough to make you want to move to the country.

Did I say move to the country?.................. NO NEVER! Not the country, its boring there.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I lived in Houston from 1992 to 2002. Got rear-ended in stop-and-go morning traffic on 59 once, and rear-ended sitting at a stoplight another time.

Both times it was by Hispanics without insurance.

Both times I paid for the damage myself out of my own pocket.

Trying to get them to pay for anything is like trying to get blood out of a turnip.