Car Accident Attorneys Blog: Ford and Laurel, San Antonio 2/16/14
Heading down 281 South this morning, and I read the over-head sign: 283 car fatalities in Texas for 2014.
It’s tragic and devastating, a sad reminder of how irresponsible some drivers can be, their reckless behaviors often the cause of such fatalities. I wondered how our general vicinity factored into these numbers then I found an interesting article in Sunday’s Express-News titled, “Boom Areas (Eagle Ford) Seeing Rise in Serious Crashes”.
Here is the take-away:
Fatalities in the Eagle Ford…
In 2011 : 177
In 2012 : 248
In 2013 : 236
But that’s only the crashes involving fatalities. There were thousands more, many involving serious injury. As for those numbers…
In 2011 : 2,673 accidents
In 2012 : 2,743 accidents, (ok, slight increase, hope it’s not the start of something…)
In 2013 : 3,430. (Drastic Jump – this isn’t the direction we’re supposed to be going in, people!)
Picture shows a recent Accident in Three Rivers Live Oak County that cost the lives of three oilfield workers. DPS suspects driver fatigue. Picture credit: KZTV
What’s going on?
The rural infrastructure in Dimmit, La Salle, McMullen, Karnes and Dewitt counties was not intended for the massive increase in mostly commercial truck traffic. The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) research has found, and to no surprise, that the push of traffic happens between 9am and 5pm. In the Permian Basin, another Boom Area, they’re seeing the same thing. The most dangerous time for driving is 8am to 5pm and the number of accidents involving fatalities and serious injuries from crashes rose to 4,371, an increase of 5% in serious injuries and 13% in fatalities in West Texas’s Permian Basin.
I know that the deteriorating infrastructure are a factor in these accidents, but I don’t dispute the benefits that have come with the oil boom in the 23 counties spanning Eagle Ford. Still, I have to ask, is the price of this boom too high?
TxDOT has been pushing their campaign: “Be Safe, Drive Smart,” to change the driving habits of the population in the mentioned counties. Nice try, but it doesn’t seem to be taking. There is more to this dilemma than a few road side signs will change.
La Salle County Judge Joel Rodriguez Jr. speculates the actual reported number of 236 fatalities might be higher, due to the way the deaths are reported. Should some of the crash victims be transported to a hospital in either San Antonio or Laredo and decease there, that fatality doesn’t appear to be counted as related to the particular car accident.
Despite TxDOT’s warning for the drivers in the affected areas to be vigilant on the roads and refrain from using the phone for texting or calls, accident numbers are on a steady rise.
Local Law Enforcement faults such driver distraction as well as speeding as the main causes for these traffic deaths and accidents. A DPS representative speculates that with continued increasing traffic in these areas, the numbers of car and truck accident will only further climb. Judge Joel Rodriguez Jr. noted that he’s already seen the number of car-truck accident deaths at an increase for this year.
The car crash numbers from 2009 reflect 88 accidents with 14 of them involving 18 wheelers. Fortunately these accidents had only two fatalities, but this is in stark contrast to last year. There were 231 crashes with an staggering involvement of 125 commercial vehicles resulting in 8 deaths.
The local resources are stretched to their limits. Additional fire fighter and emergency responders had to be hired to get a handle on the ever-increasing number of incoming calls. In La Salle County 90% of the calls received are oil & gas development related.
The counties need to get a handle on the situation sooner rather than later. Their efforts lie in hiring more first responders and equipment – great thing, but reactive and not pro-active. All this drilling activity started about five years ago. Shouldn’t the counties have been planning for this growth? Just thinking…
If you or a loved one, to no fault of your own, have been involved in such an accident, call us the CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS at Ford and Laurel Attorneys at Law. We will help.
In San Antonio call 210-820-3434.
In Laredo call 888-295-7669.
www.fordandlaurel.com