Desoto, TX

History of Accidents in Desoto

Unfortunately for residents of DeSoto, traffic accidents aren't looking too good.

At the start of our record, in 2014, there were 368 accidents in DeSoto. It only gets higher from here.

In 2015, the accident rate climbed by nearly 100 to reach 439 accidents that year. But 2016 was even worse, jumping all the way to 529 accidents. From there, things got a little better over time, though not by much. In 2017, the accident rate held steady with 530 accidents that year.

Finally, in 2018, the accident rate dropped, though not by a huge amount--there were 509 accidents that year. So the question is, why did accidents spike in DeSoto in 2016, and why have they hovered in the 500s ever since?

One possible explanation in construction.

DeSoto has had a laundry list of construction projects happening in the last few years, from commercial projects to residential subdivision projects.

In addition, DeSoto rolled out a Comprehensive Plan in 2015. It was created by residents to help City Council address issues like streetscape guidelines, a transportation plan, housing strategies, and urban design, all of which fed into construction projects in the city.

Another possible explanation is growth.

DeSoto has had an explosion in population since the 1980s, growing from a city of 15,000 to a city of 50,000. In particular, the city has become attractive to middle-class and affluent African American families, who make up 68% of DeSoto's population and own more than half of businesses.

That's great news for DeSoto. The median income is almost $20,000 higher than Dallas and only 9% of the population lives below the poverty line.

It also means that there are more families trying to go to work and school each day, contributing to the number of accidents.

History of Fatalities in Desoto

Another explanation for DeSoto's accident rate (which also plays into their fatal accident rate) is their location.

DeSoto is a suburb of Dallas and located in Dallas County. And according to an investigation by The Houston Chronicle, Dallas drivers aren't just bad at using turn signals.

In fact, Dallas has the second-highest rate of vehicle-related fatalities in the country (surpassed only by Houston).

That's evident in Dallas's fatality record over the last few years. There were 222 traffic fatalities in 2014, 239 traffic fatalities in 2015, 288 traffic fatalities in 2016, and 263 traffic fatalities in 2017.

In addition, DeSoto is close to I-35, which is one of the most fatal highways in Texas. On a list of 77 stretches of highway with the most fatalities per square mile, I-35 appears more frequently than any other highway on the list.

The good news (if any) is that Dallas's fatality record doesn't directly translate to DeSoto.

In fact, DeSoto's overall fatal accident rate is rather low. They saw zero fatal accidents in 2014, for a start. That number went up to two fatal accidents in 2015 and up to three fatal accidents in 2016, but it went down to one fatal accident in 2017.

Unfortunately, it went back up again to three fatal accidents in 2018, but again, the number is relatively low, given that there were 509 reported accidents that year.

Why is the overall accident rate so high while the fatal accident rate is so low?

One possible explanation is the number of families in the area. Many married couples with kids move to DeSoto for their families, and driving with kids could prompt parents to drive more carefully.