Texas police reports do not name a single cause. They list contributing factors, and in the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) 2024 data the specific factors named most often were failing to control speed, driver inattention, unsafe lane changes, failing to stay in a single lane and failing to yield when turning left (leaving aside the catch-all “Other (Explain in Narrative)”). Speed-involved crashes and alcohol-related crashes each account for more than 1,000 Texas deaths in the 2024 count.
The short version
- Speed leads by volume. TxDOT lists “failed to control speed” in 131,978 Texas crashes in 2024, and counts 37,316 speed-involved crashes in Harris County.
- Inattention is second. “Driver inattention” appears in 81,101 Texas crashes in 2024; TxDOT’s distracted-driving measure shows 9,851 Harris County crashes and 29 deaths.
- Alcohol is far deadlier per crash. TxDOT counts 1,053 deaths in 22,737 alcohol-related crashes in 2024 (165 deaths in Harris County), against 1,466 deaths in 158,364 speed-involved crashes.
- Intersections and lane changes fill the middle. Left turns, stop signs, red lights and unsafe lane changes each appear in tens of thousands of crashes.
- Rain is not the main story. TxDOT’s 2024 table puts 46,294 of 554,146 Texas crashes in rain.
How do Texas police reports record the cause of a crash?
The officer’s report (CR-3) lets the officer tick contributing factors for each driver, and a crash can carry several. TxDOT then counts a crash under every factor listed, so the totals below overlap and cannot be added together. A factor is an officer’s observation, not a legal finding of fault.
TxDOT’s annual report definitions (checked 16 Oct. 2026) show how its headline measures are built. A speed-involved crash is one where at least one driver had the factor “Unsafe Speed,” “Speeding (Over Limit)” or “Failed to Control Speed.” Distracted driving means a crash with “Distraction in Vehicle,” “Driver Inattention” or a cellular phone factor. Alcohol involvement means a positive blood alcohol result or the factors “Had Been Drinking” or “Under the Influence of Alcohol.”
The specific factors that appear most often in statewide 2024 crashes are in the next table; TxDOT’s catch-all “Other (Explain in Narrative)” (49,709 crashes) is left out because it names no particular behavior. The source is TxDOT’s 2024 crash contributing factors report, covering reports processed as of 9 April 2025; figures are copied as printed.
| Contributing factor | Texas crashes listing it | Of those, fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to control speed | 131,978 | 513 |
| Driver inattention | 81,101 | 267 |
| Changed lane when unsafe | 50,287 | 75 |
| Failed to drive in single lane | 42,588 | 800 |
| Failed to yield, turning left | 35,984 | 143 |
| Failed to yield, stop sign | 31,693 | 154 |
| Unsafe speed | 24,126 | 490 |
| Followed too closely | 21,048 | 12 |
| Disregarded stop-and-go signal | 20,963 | 113 |
| Under influence, alcohol | 16,317 | 566 |
The pattern is that the most common factors are rarely the deadliest. Following too closely appears in 21,048 crashes but only 12 fatal ones, while “under influence, alcohol” is far smaller in count and has 566 fatal crashes. The sections below follow the causes in the order that matches our practice pages.
How many car accidents happen in Texas and in Harris County?
TxDOT recorded a reportable crash every 57 seconds in Texas in 2024 and 4,150 deaths. Harris County had 115,173 reportable crashes, 546 fatal crashes and 579 deaths, and the City of Houston alone had 66,236 crashes and 339 deaths.
The statewide figures come from TxDOT’s Crash Facts highlights for 2024: one person killed every 2 hours 7 minutes, one injured every 2 minutes 5 seconds, 251,977 people injured. The county row is in TxDOT’s 2024 crashes by county table, and Houston’s row is in the cities and towns table. By arithmetic from those two tables, Harris County accounts for roughly 14 percent of Texas road deaths (579 of 4,150).
Spread over 2024’s 366 days, Houston’s 66,236 reportable crashes average about 181 a day (a division of TxDOT’s printed count). For a claim, the useful question is what caused your crash, which the sections below take cause by cause. Our page on the cost of Houston collisions and the guide to the roads where Houston crashes cluster add location detail.
Is speeding the leading cause of car accidents in Houston?
By count of crashes, yes: speed factors are the most common in TxDOT’s 2024 data. Harris County had 37,316 speed-involved crashes with 194 deaths, against 158,364 crashes and 1,466 deaths statewide. Texas law bars driving faster than is reasonable and prudent for the conditions.
The county figures come from TxDOT’s speed-involved crashes by county table (checked 16 Oct. 2026). Speed is not only about the posted limit. Transportation Code § 545.351 requires a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, and § 545.062 requires enough following distance to stop safely, so a driver under the limit can still be a contributing factor in a crash (Transportation Code chapter 545, checked 16 Oct. 2026).
At the City of Houston level, speeding is the first behavior officials name. A November 2023 city release on 2022 data said factors contributing to Houston crashes have stayed the same since 2014: speeding, impaired driving, unsafe driving maneuvers and disregarding traffic signs and signals (City of Houston Planning and Development, 20 November 2023). When speed turns into disregard for others, the claim can involve reckless conduct; see our article on reckless driving crashes and the page for Houston car accident claims.
How much does distracted driving contribute to Houston crashes?
TxDOT’s distracted-driving measure shows 9,851 Harris County crashes in 2024 with 29 deaths, and 91,442 statewide with 380 deaths. Statewide, most of them are coded “driver inattention,” which means the officer noted the driver was not paying attention, not that a phone was involved.
The figures are from TxDOT’s distracted driver crashes by county table. In the contributing factors report, “driver inattention” is listed in 81,101 Texas crashes, “distraction in vehicle” in 11,771, and the four cell phone categories add up to 3,121 listings (texting alone: 594), though one crash can carry more than one.
The coding matters because phone use gets recorded only when the officer can establish it. Texas makes it an offense to read, write or send an electronic message while driving unless the vehicle is stopped, with listed defenses such as hands-free use and navigation (Transportation Code § 545.4251). Our pages on distracted driving injuries and phones at the wheel cover claims, and the article on the Texas texting law goes through the statute. The other forms of distraction are treated in texting is only the start.
How deadly is drunk driving in Harris County?
In 2024 TxDOT counted 3,357 alcohol-related crashes in Harris County with 165 deaths, and 22,737 statewide with 1,053 deaths, which is 25.37 percent of all Texas traffic deaths. Inside the City of Houston, the count was 2,113 crashes and 104 deaths.
County figures come from TxDOT’s DUI (alcohol) crashes by county table; Houston’s row is in the cities and towns version. The statewide share is from the Crash Facts highlights, which also say more alcohol crashes were reported between 2:00 and 2:59 a.m. than in any other hour, and more on Sunday than any other day.
Under Penal Code § 49.01, “intoxicated” means not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties from alcohol, drugs or another substance, or an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, and § 49.04 makes driving while intoxicated in a public place an offense (Penal Code chapter 49, checked 16 Oct. 2026). A criminal case and an injury claim are separate. Our pages on drunk driving victims’ claims and dram shop liability explain the civil side, and the article on DWI statistics in Texas has more numbers.
What about red lights, right-of-way and lane changes?
They fill the middle of the statewide list. TxDOT’s 2024 data lists failing to yield when turning left in 35,984 crashes, a stop sign in 31,693, a stop-and-go signal in 20,963 and an unsafe lane change in 50,287. Statewide, 1,050 deaths occurred at or near intersections.
The statute spells out the duties. Under Transportation Code § 545.152 a driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is an immediate hazard; under § 545.153 a driver who has stopped at a stop sign yields to any vehicle already in the intersection from another road and to one so close that it is an immediate hazard, and a collision in an intersection after passing a yield sign without stopping is prima facie evidence of failing to yield; § 545.060 requires driving as nearly as practical within a single lane; and § 545.103 requires that a turn or lane move be made safely.
These crashes produce disputes over who had the green or the right of way, and the evidence is often a report, video and witnesses. Our page on failure-to-stop collisions and the articles on side-impact crashes, multi-car pile-ups and what to do after an I-45 crash apply the rules. Left-turn and lane-change collisions with trucks are covered by 18-wheeler crash claims.
Does rain cause most Houston car accidents?
No. TxDOT’s 2024 weather table lists 500,371 Texas crashes in clear or cloudy weather and 46,294 in rain, out of 554,146. Rain matters, but most crashes happen in dry weather, so weather is not the usual setting for a Texas crash.
The weather figures are from TxDOT’s weather conditions report; fog accounts for 2,712 crashes, sleet or hail 1,095 and snow 533. Equipment is the other non-behavior cause: the contributing factors report lists “defective or slick tires” in 3,975 Texas crashes and “defective or no vehicle brakes” in 2,867. When a part fails, the claim may reach the manufacturer or a repair shop; see our pages on defective vehicle parts, the article on tire blowouts and vehicle defects behind a collision.
Seat belt use affects what happens after the crash rather than why it happens. TxDOT’s highlights say 45.34 percent of people killed in vehicles where restraint use was known and applicable were not restrained, and § 545.413 makes failing to wear a belt an offense for occupants who meet its conditions.
Avoiding the common causes largely mirrors the duties in the statutes already quoted: a speed suited to the conditions (§ 545.351), enough distance to stop behind the car ahead (§ 545.062), no reading or sending messages while moving (§ 545.4251), a single lane unless a move is safe (§ 545.060), and a sober driver.
How can I look up a Houston crash or find what caused mine?
Buy the officer’s report from TxDOT’s online system, which lists the contributing factors the officer recorded, or use TxDOT’s public CRIS Query Tool for statistics. TxDOT releases the full report to people with a direct interest and a redacted copy to others; general crash totals are public.
TxDOT’s crash records page (checked 16 Oct. 2026) says reports are not viewable online by the public, prices are $6 for a regular copy and $8 for a certified one, with a minimal surcharge online, and the CRIS Query Tool and annual statistics are the route to public data. Our guide to getting an accident report explains the steps, and what to do right after a crash covers evidence.
Houston’s own efforts are described in KPRC’s report on the Vision Zero plan. On 26 September 2023, City Chief Transportation Planner David Fields told the station that “every year, over 300 people are killed and about 1,600 people are injured” on Houston streets (KPRC Click2Houston, 26 September 2023). Two years later the numbers had not improved: on 3 February 2025 Houston Public Media, citing TxDOT, reported 301 traffic deaths in Houston in 2024, 29 more than in 2023 and above the previous record of 295 set in 2021, and quoted a LINK Houston policy director naming speed as one of the largest factors.
If one of the causes above hurt you, note the cause as the report records it and bring that to the contact page. What such a claim can recover is covered in types of damages and how claim value is estimated; for families after a death, see fatal crash claims and the auto accident practice page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top 5 causes of car accidents?
In TxDOT’s 2024 Texas data, the five specific contributing factors listed in the most crashes were failed to control speed (131,978), driver inattention (81,101), changed lane when unsafe (50,287), failed to drive in single lane (42,588) and failed to yield when turning left (35,984). Alcohol is lower in count but higher in deaths.
What causes the most deaths in Texas car accidents?
By TxDOT’s 2024 measures, speed-involved crashes account for 1,466 deaths, alcohol-related crashes for 1,053 and distracted driving for 380. Single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes caused 1,353 deaths and intersection crashes 1,050. The categories overlap, so they cannot be added.
Can a crash have more than one cause?
Yes. A report can list several contributing factors for each driver, and TxDOT counts the crash under each one. That is why the totals in this article overlap. Several causes can also be shared among drivers, which matters because Texas bars recovery by a claimant found more than half responsible.
Is texting while driving illegal in Texas?
Yes, with exceptions. Transportation Code section 545.4251 makes it an offense to read, write or send an electronic message while driving unless the vehicle is stopped. It lists defenses, including hands-free devices, navigation and reporting an emergency. Reading or typing remains a main way drivers become inattentive.
Does the cause listed in the police report decide who pays?
No. The factors are the officer’s observations, and the report is evidence rather than a final ruling. Insurers and, if a suit is filed, the court decide responsibility on all the evidence. Obtain the report and check it for errors early.
How often does a car crash happen in Texas?
TxDOT’s figures for 2024 show one reportable crash every 57 seconds, one injury every 2 minutes 5 seconds and one death every 2 hours 7 minutes. The year had 4,150 deaths, a 3.29 percent drop from 4,291 in 2023, and no day without a death.
Where do I find crash statistics for my county?
TxDOT publishes annual tables by county and by city, such as crashes by county, speed-involved crashes and alcohol-related crashes, and offers the CRIS Query Tool for public searches. The 2024 tables cited above show Harris County’s row in each. Crash reports themselves go in full only to people with a direct interest; others receive a redacted copy.
About the authors
Sam A. Maida, Jr.
Owner and Managing Attorney
Sam A. Maida, Jr. has represented injured Texans in the greater Houston area since the firm opened in 1993.
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Bernard G. Johnson III
Litigation Managing Attorney
Bernard G. Johnson III is a board certified trial lawyer licensed in Texas since 1996 and a graduate of South Texas College of Law.