Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Texas

Losing control of speed is the most common factor behind car crashes in Texas, an August 2026 report finds.

With Texas now recording the most traffic deaths in America, a new study by Trujillo Gonzalez Law Firm reveals the leading causes of these accidents.

Speeding is behind over 130K crashes in Texas, making it the primary cause of accidents on the state roads.

Inattentive drivers cause more than 81K road accidents across the region every single year.
Failing to stay in a single lane is Texas’s deadliest driving habit, causing 800 fatalities.

The research analyzed crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation to find the leading factors behind accidents in the state. It looked at two things for each cause: how many total crashes it was linked to, and how many of those were fatal. These two figures were then ranked separately, showing which reckless driving habits are most common and which are most likely to turn fatal.

Table of Contents

Common Causes of Auto Accidents in Texas

Here’s a look at the top 5 most common causes of car accidents in Texas:

Crash Contributing Factor	Fatal Crashes	Total Crashes
Failed to Control Speed	513	131,977
Driver Inattention	267	81,101
Changed Lane When Unsafe	75	50,287
Failed to Drive in Single Lane	800	42,587
Failed to Yield ROW – Turning Left	143	35,984

You can access the complete research findings here.

1. Failed to Control Speed

Total crashes: 131.9K
Fatal crashes: 513
Serious injury crashes: 2,967
Non-injury crashes: 85.6K

Failure to control speed is the most common cause of car accidents in Texas. It is linked to nearly 132K crashes in the state records every year, and while most of them don’t result in serious injury, the death toll from these incidents still reaches 513 people. That figure actually makes speeding the third-deadliest cause of fatal crashes in the state.

2. Driver Inattention

Driver inattention is the second most common cause of crashes in Texas, with over 81K incidents recorded. It is a broadly defined term that can include everything from glancing at a passenger to zoning out for a moment. The vast majority of distracted driving crashes are non-injury (53K of them), but 267 people still die from these accidents each year, and nearly 1,900 suffer serious harm.

3. Unsafe Lane Changes

Changing lanes without enough clearance causes over 50K crashes in Texas each year, making it the third most common cause of road accidents in the state. The majority of these cases are fender-benders on busy highways, causing fewer fatalities. Still, 75 people die from these crashes annually, and more than 500 suffer serious injuries.

4. Failed to Drive in Single Lane

Drifting out of lane causes fewer total crashes than the top three factors, but it kills far more people than any of them. At 800 fatalities a year, it accounts for nearly as many deaths as speeding, inattention, and unsafe lane changes combined. Overall, it’s behind 42K crashes each year, but a much higher share of those turn deadly because lane departure often means crossing into oncoming traffic.

5. Failed to Yield Right of Way While Turning Left

Failing to yield while turning left causes nearly 36K crashes across Texas each year. It kills 143 people annually and leaves over 1,100 with serious injuries. Left turns are one of the most dangerous moves in everyday driving because timing the move is often difficult. Plus, most collisions also happen at a right angle, making the crashes more deadly.

Reasons For Fatal Crashes in Texas

The car accident attorney from Trujillo Gonzalez Law Firm highlighted another finding from the same research:

Top 5 Reasons for Fatal Crashes in Texas
Crash Contributing Factor	Fatal Crashes
Failed to Drive in Single Lane	800
Under Influence – Alcohol	566
Failed to Control Speed	513
Unsafe Speed	490
Pedestrian Failed to Yield Right of Way to Vehicle	472

“Alcohol-impaired driving kills 566 Texans a year. It causes fewer crashes than speeding or distracted driving, but when those crashes happen, they are much more likely to be fatal. Another common cause of deadly crashes is pedestrians failing to yield to vehicles, linked to 472 fatalities annually. That number should give every Texas driver pause. Pedestrians don’t always cross where or when they should, and it seems such cases are more common in Texas, so we need to treat any street with foot traffic much more cautiously.”