Fatal car crashes in Houston, Texas
From 2020 through 2024, 1,582 people died in 1,498 crashes on streets and highways inside Houston, Texas.
That is 13.2 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, about the same as the Texas rate of 13.6 and above the US rate of 12.1.
I-45 (North Fwy) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 167, killing 172.
Hit-and-runs made up 19% of fatal crashes here, against 9% statewide.
In 2024, 351 people were killed, 32% more than in 2020 (266).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 2,390,125 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (1,498 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Texas 13.6, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 32% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Harris County; the dots are crashes inside Houston city limits.
The deadliest roads in Houston
I-45 (North Fwy) leads with 167 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-45 North Fwy | 167 | 172 |
| 2 | I-69 US-59 | 111 | 119 |
| 3 | I-10 East Fwy | 104 | 109 |
| 4 | I-610 North Lp | 80 | 81 |
| 5 | SR-8 Sam Houston Pkwy | 44 | 47 |
| 6 | FM-1093 Westheimer Rd | 42 | 44 |
| 7 | SR-6 Addicks Howell Rd | 27 | 28 |
| 8 | US-90 Alt | 26 | 28 |
| 9 | SR-288 South Fwy | 23 | 25 |
| 10 | Westheimer Rd | 22 | 24 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
67% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 2 am to 3 am.
Sunday had the most fatal crashes (309), and 38% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, October was the worst (158 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Houston, next to Texas and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Houston | Share | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 495 | 33% | 35% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 452 | 30% | 25% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 127 | 8% | 17% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 281 | 19% | 9% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 505 | 32% | 18% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 198 | 13% | 13% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 59 | 4% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 72 | 5% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Houston
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Houston Police Department.
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Get the crash report
City police and county agencies submit their crash reports to TxDOT, and they send requesters to the same CRIS purchase system: for example the Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 2 says its crash reports are purchased through the state online system, and Texas State University Police direct requests to TxDOT Crash Reports and Records.
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Know your deadline
Texas gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: A governmental unit is entitled to notice of a claim not later than six months after the incident; city charters may set a shorter period. Notice is not required if the unit has actual notice of the death, injury or property damage.
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Who pays
Texas is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
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If you were partly at fault
You can recover if you are 50% or less responsible, with your damages reduced by your percentage; if you are more than 50% responsible you recover nothing.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Texas is $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (30/60/25).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Texas. Both take under a minute.
Counties around Houston
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County | 2,746 | 11.0 | 815 | 5,009,302 |
| Fort Bend County | 206 | 4.3 | 26 | 958,434 |
| Montgomery County | 314 | 8.4 | 47 | 749,613 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.