Navigating the Deadly Highways and Interstates in Texas

While traveling throughout west Texas this past weekend, I was on Texas State Highway 277, at one time labeled as one of the deadliest highways in Texas. As I'm driving on Highway 277 I see why it is so dangerous.

This patch of Texas has a lot of hills, curves, and several blind spots that made me realize why it's tricky to navigate. Then I made my way back on that same road at night and wow! You had better pay attention while driving between San Angelo and Abilene after dark.

Get our free mobile app

My wife asked why I didn't take Interstate 20 to get back home, to which I quickly responded that I-20 between Sweetwater and Abilene has also been labeled one of the deadliest interstates in Texas. When I got home I looked it up and, lo and behold, Texas has a few more "dangerous interstates" according to the "Assurance.com Insurance" website, as you'll see on the maps below.

All that said, I learned that California, Florida, and Texas have the most dangerous interstates for drivers. So what highways are the most deadly in Texas?

While Highway 277 is not an interstate, it still ranked as one of the deadliest in Texas. As for the aforementioned I-20, a lot of the recent fatal crashes that have happened along that stretch of road have been because of road construction and/or bad weather, and it appears that both are having fewer crashes.

Using the Assurance.com Insurance methodology, the number of fatal crashes per 100 miles to determine the most dangerous interstates overall:

• The deadliest highway in the United States is I-4 in Florida, reporting the highest number of 34 fatal crashes for every 100 miles.
• Coming in at number two is I-35E in Texas. Connecting the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area, I-35E is the eastern half of I-35 that runs northbound and sees 27.9 fatal crashes per 100 miles.
• At number three is Texas I-45 with 24.6 fatal crashes per 100 miles. I-45’s southern end starts in Galveston and runs north through Dallas.
• Trailing in fourth place is I-30, which runs eastbound from Arkansas to Dallas/Fort Worth. I-30 experiences roughly 23.5 fatal crashes per 100 miles.
  Source: Assurance.com Insurance