Data recently released by the Texas Department of Transportation shows speed-related fatalities on San Antonio-area roads increased in 2022 — even though fewer people were involved in speed-related crashes last year.
Traffic fatalities related to speed increased by 5.5% last year, according to TxDOT data from 2022. At the same time, speed-related crashes decreased in number locally, from 8,158 in 2021 to 7,996 in 2022, a decrease of 2.8%.
“We’ve seen way too many lives lost in crashes caused by excessive speed,” said Laura Lopez, a public information officer for TxDOT who oversees the San Antonio district. “It is a top contributing factor in traffic crashes in Texas.”
There were 10,945 traffic crashes in 2022 that involved speeding in the San Antonio area, which includes Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina, Uvalde and Wilson counties.
These crashes resulted in 115 deaths and 446 serious injuries, according to TxDOT spokesperson Jeff Salzgeber.
As drivers got back to a more regular traffic pattern after the COVID-19 pandemic, not wearing seatbelts and losing control of a vehicle while speeding contributed to a record-setting year on Texas roads in 2021.
In 2022, slightly fewer people died on Texas roads than the year before: 4,481 people died in 2022 compared to 4,497 deaths recorded in 2021, which was the deadliest year since 1981, when 4,701 people were killed in crashes.
This summer, TxDOT pushed a “Be Safe. Drive Smart” speed prevention public information campaign, encouraging drivers to slow down to avoid dangerous or deadly crashes.
The campaign rolled out on the heels of Operation Slowdown, which increased law enforcement presence on roads across the state and increased the number of citations given for speeding for over two weeks in July.
As Labor Day approaches, TxDOT is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and local police forces to watch out for drunk drivers through Sept. 4.
“The SAPD Traffic Unit and the SAPD DWI Unit will be patrolling the roadways during the day and night, keeping an eye out for drunk drivers during this Labor Day weekend,” said SAPD spokesperson Ricardo Guzman.
Guzman said SAPD is expecting heavier traffic, so drivers should plan ahead to get to destinations on time safely.
“We want to remind citizens to plan ahead, have a sober ride, and don’t drink and drive. One bad decision can impact your entire life,” he said.
Across the state, speed was a contributing factor in more than 162,000 roadway crashes in Texas, killing 1,469 people in 2022. One-third of the people killed on Texas roads last year were involved in speed-related crashes, said Michael Chacon, director of the traffic safety division for TxDOT at a July 25 press conference in Austin.
“What may seem like a very common and brief decision to drive over the speed limit can result in lifelong regret for drivers and others in their path,” Chacon said.
Chacon said in 2022, fewer people were injured or died in car accidents in Texas, but there were still 4,482 traffic deaths. Another 18,877 people sustained serious injuries, some resulting in permanent disabilities.
“Remember, speeding is within the driver’s control, which means we can put an end to this needless loss of life if we slow down and drive at a safe speed,” he said.
Lopez said speeding increases the risk of losing control of the vehicle.
“Safety needs to be everyone’s first priority,” she said. “Our number one goal is to have no fatalities on Texas roadways. … November 7, 2000, was the last fatality-free day, and every day since then, somebody has died on Texas roadways.”
