Irving, TX

History of Accidents in Irving

Five-year accident rates in Irving from 2014 through 2018 generally began low, went up quickly to a high of 3,843 in 2016, and then began to recede once again over the next two years, leading to an overall increase from 2,527 in 2014 to 3,260 in 2018. Interim years such as 2015 and 2017 trended up and down respectively, with the former rising to 3,276 on its way to its 2016 high point and then with the latter dropping more slowly to 3,459 on its way to its 2018 figure. It remains to be seen if these annual accident figures will continue to trend back down towards their 2014 numbers or if this bump is the beginning of a long incline; however, when compared to annual accident rates nationwide Irving is almost textbook.

In fact, accident numbers rose to a peak in 2016 across the United States before beginning to slightly decline going into 2018. The driving force behind this sudden jump in accident figures in 2015-2016 has so far been attributed to, of all things, a better economic outlook for the US. During this period of time, US gas prices reached their second-cheapest in a decade according to the AAA, making it much less expensive to fill up a vehicle and then drive it. Generally improving economic conditions at this time also left Americans with more money in their pockets, leading them to spend more time behind the wheel. The downside to this is that this additional volume of people on the nation's roads made it much more likely for an accident to happen -- and the statistics bear this out.

History of Fatalities in Irving

Meanwhile, fatalities in Irving largely mirrored accident rates, with 2014 starting low at just 22 deaths before trending higher to a top rate of 31 fatalities in 2016. Thankfully, fatalities in Irving fell as accident rates did from 2016 through 2018, with 2017's deaths numbering just 19. 2018's fatalities were even fewer at only 13. Surprisingly, both 2017 and 2018 were less deadly than 2014, despite that year having fewer accidents overall. Again, this is in line with national fatality rates where 2016 hit an eight-year high across the board in the US before beginning to decline in 2017. Preliminary data from 2018 that has been released shows this lowered fatality rate to be continuing, hopefully into 2019 and beyond.

Whether it's worsening economic conditions making fewer people take to the roads or some other reason reducing the accident and fatality rates in Irving,less dangerous roads in the city are always a good thing for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Hopes are high that the 2016's fatality rates will never be seen again.