It is commonly known that driving in large metropolitan areas like Dallas-Ft. Worth can be riskier than smaller areas. However, what may not be expected to Dallas-area residents is that they reside in the area with some of the state’s worst drivers, according to a recent survey by Allstate Insurance Company.
For the survey, Allstate analyzed car accident records for a two-year period for about 200 cities across the nation with a population of 50,000 or more. According to the survey, nine cities in the area surrounding Dallas-Ft. Worth have the drivers who are most prone to accidents in Texas.
Among the cities surveyed, Garland drivers ranked the worst, with drivers who are approximately 50 percent more likely to be involved in a car accident than the national average. The survey found that the average American has a car accident about every 10 years. However, those in Garland averaged about 6.8 years between car accidents, which is about 46 percent more frequent.
Other Dallas-area cities mentioned in the survey were Mesquite, Irving, Grand Prairie, Plano, Frisco and McKinney. The survey found that these drivers in these cities were between 26 and 31 percent more likely than the national average to be involved in car accidents.
Many factors to blame
The survey blames the heightened risk of car accidents among Dallas-area drivers chiefly on the dense nature of the suburbs. Since many of the suburbs in the area are rather clustered, there is higher than normal traffic on the road at all hours, which increases the probability of more car accidents.
In addition to the crowded nature of the suburbs, the suburbs are growing so fast that the aging roads are unable to handle the traffic. As a result, many of the roads are currently undergoing construction, which disrupts traffic patterns and puts larger construction vehicles on the area roads, significantly increasing the risk of accidents.
Finally, the study concluded that distracted driving, especially texting while driving, was to blame for part of the problem. Studies have shown that texting while driving can triple a driver’s risk of being in a car accident. As smartphones have become ubiquitous among the populace over the past few years, the number of fatalities and injuries due to distracted driving has increased dramatically.
An attorney can help
Regardless of the reason behind the heighted risk of accidents in the area, those who are injured in such accidents often are left with expensive medical bills and are rendered unable to work for weeks or months. As a result, under Texas law, if you have been injured by a driver’s negligence, you have the right to recover compensation for expenses caused by the accident. An experienced personal injury attorney can ensure that you receive all compensation that is due to you under the law.
