| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 2,339[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 509[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 9.7[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 4,996,331[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Harris County, Texas recorded 2,339 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, including 509 in 2024 alone. Those 2024 deaths made up 87.3% of the 583 all traffic deaths counted that year, and across the full five-year span car accident deaths accounted for 85.2% of the county's 2,746 all traffic deaths.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
On this page, a car accident is a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van, and the death count includes everyone killed in those crashes, whether they were in the passenger vehicle, in another vehicle, or a nonoccupant. A car accident lawyer reviewing this page should note that these figures are grouped by where the crash happened, not by the home county of the people killed. The statistics come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Harris County by year
Car accident deaths in Harris County ran from 421 in 2020 to 493 in 2021, then to 469 in 2022, 447 in 2023 and 509 in 2024. The highest year in this span was 2024, with 509 deaths, while the lowest was 2020, with 421 deaths. Measured from 2020 to 2024, deaths were 88 higher, moving from 421 to 509. The share of all traffic deaths that were car accident deaths held at 85.6% in both 2020 and 2021, dipped to 84.1% in 2022 and 83.2% in 2023, and rose to 87.3% in 2024, its highest point in the period.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 421 | 492 | 85.6% |
| 2021 | 493 | 576 | 85.6% |
| 2022 | 469 | 558 | 84.1% |
| 2023 | 447 | 537 | 83.2% |
| 2024 | 509 | 583 | 87.3% |
Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.
Who died in Harris County car accidents
Among the 2,339 car accident deaths recorded in Harris County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans made up the majority at 1,392 deaths, or 59.5% of the total. People in other vehicles accounted for 232 deaths, or 9.9%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 715 deaths, or 30.6%, the second-largest of the three categories shown in the table.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
Manner of collision data show that Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport was the largest category among Harris County car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, at 1,344 deaths, or 57.5%. This label covers crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among the other manner-of-collision rows, Angle (side impact) accounted for 481 deaths (20.6%), Rear-end for 266 (11.4%), Head-on for 156 (6.7%) and Sideswipe for 61 (2.6%). Other and Unknown together held the smallest shares, at 1.1% and 0.3%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Of the 2,339 car accident deaths recorded in Harris County from 2020 through 2024, Nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 1,572 deaths, or 67.2%, more than the 767 deaths, or 32.8%, recorded in Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.). By land use, Urban crashes made up the majority at 2,270 deaths, or 97.1%, while Rural crashes accounted for 67 deaths, or 2.9%. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 160, or 6.8% of the county total.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with Texas and the United States
Harris County's average annual rate of car accident deaths was 9.7 per 100,000 residents from 2020 through 2024. That figure is lower than the Texas rate of 12.1 and lower than the national rate of 10.5. Among the four listed neighboring counties, Montgomery County, Texas posted a rate of 7.3, Fort Bend County, Texas 4.2, Brazoria County, Texas 9.2 and Galveston County, Texas 9.4; Harris County's rate is higher than each of these. This measure reflects average annual deaths per 100,000 residents and does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County, Texas | 2,339 | 9.7 |
| Texas | 18,234 | 12.1 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Montgomery County, Texas (neighbor) | 251 | 7.3 |
| Fort Bend County, Texas (neighbor) | 188 | 4.2 |
| Brazoria County, Texas (neighbor) | 180 | 9.2 |
| Galveston County, Texas (neighbor) | 169 | 9.4 |
Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.
Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes
Looking at all fatal crashes in Harris County from 2020 through 2024, regardless of vehicle type, Speeding-related crashes carried the largest recorded share of all traffic deaths, at 978 deaths, or 35.6%. Roadway departure was recorded in 918 deaths (33.4%), Pedestrian involved in 834 (30.4%), At an intersection in 705 (25.7%), Hit-and-run in 464 (16.9%), Motorcycle involved in 366 (13.3%), Driver distraction reported in 110 (4.0%) and In a work zone in 47 (1.7%), the smallest share listed. Because a single crash can carry more than one of these characteristics, the rows overlap and do not add to 100%, and they are recorded characteristics rather than findings of fault.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 978 | 35.6% |
| Roadway departure | 918 | 33.4% |
| At an intersection | 705 | 25.7% |
| Pedestrian involved | 834 | 30.4% |
| Motorcycle involved | 366 | 13.3% |
| Hit-and-run | 464 | 16.9% |
| Driver distraction reported | 110 | 4.0% |
| In a work zone | 47 | 1.7% |
A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.
About these figures
These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes in which a vehicle occupant or a nonoccupant dies within 30 days of a crash on a public trafficway; FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of these counts. Crashes are grouped by the county where they occurred rather than by where the people killed lived. The 2020 to 2023 figures are drawn from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may change once NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates divide 2020 to 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates (Vintage 2025) for those years, multiplied by 100,000.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqr "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefg "Annual resident population estimates for counties, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA)". U.S. Census Bureau. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ^ "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record