Houston: Where the Streets Are Paved With... Other Cars?
Ah, Houston. The city of bayous, barbecue, and...bumper bashes? Buckle up, folks (metaphorically, of course, because seatbelts are very important) for a deep dive into the not-so-glamorous world of Houston crashes.
How Often Do Things Go Bump in the Night (and Day)?
The answer, my friends, is a lot. Like, a whole lot. Houston consistently ranks high on the list of cities with the most crashes. In 2021, there were an estimated 66,988 crashes, which translates to roughly 184 crashes every single day. That's more crashes than you can shake a stick at (please don't shake sticks at traffic, that's dangerous).
Why So Many Wrecks?
The reasons are as plentiful as potholes on a Houston highway (which is to say, plentiful). Here are a few contenders:
- The sheer number of drivers: Houston's a sprawling metropolis, and with more people on the road, there's a higher chance of things going awry.
- The heat: Let's face it, Houston is basically a giant sauna most of the year. Hot and bothered drivers are not exactly recipe for cool-headed decision making.
- Sun glare: Speaking of hot, that Texas sun can be a real doozy. Temporary blindness caused by sun glare is no joke, folks!
Unofficial Crash Causation Factors (because science is fun, but sometimes humor is more fun):
- Astrology readings for Taurus moons (apparently they're accident prone, don't tell your Taurus friends I said that).
- The number of drivers who forgot their lucky rodeo clown socks (it's a Houston thing, you wouldn't understand).
- The likelihood of encountering a rogue tumbleweed (hey, it's Texas!).
The Disclaimer, Because You Can Never Be Too Careful
Now, before you go out and avoid Houston altogether (it's a pretty great city, crashes aside), this is not an official statistic. For real information, you should consult the Texas Department of Transportation (https://www.txdot.gov/).
But hey, even if the numbers aren't exact, one thing's for sure: driving in Houston is an adventure. Just be prepared for the unexpected, and maybe wear those lucky socks.
