Laredo, TX

History of Accidents in Laredo

From 2014 to 2018, Laredo experienced a very small bump in terms of accidents per year, though this swell seems to have largely subsided. Initial accident figures for 2014 recorded a total number of annual accidents at just 4,476, which would increase modestly for the two next years to 4,925 and 5,069 consecutively. However, 2016 would be the high point for accident figures, as both 2017 and 2018 saw rates decline to first 4,667 and then 4,598, leaving overall five-year growth up just barely over 100 accidents a year.

This quick growth and eventual leveling off in the number of accidents in Laredo is more or less on target for the rest of the country. Data from the NHTSA show that, nationally, accident volume shot to a new high in 2016 before beginning to decline once again. As far as what caused this sudden jump in Laredo's accident rates -- and in fact accident rates around the country during this time -- most experts have agreed that there's an economic component. Plummeting gas prices and a better overall economic output in 2015 made it much less expensive to own and operate a vehicle for many Americans, leading them to spend more time on the road. This, in turn, naturally increased the chances of being involved in an accident.

History of Fatalities in Laredo

As slow and steady as Laredo's accident rate seems to have risen and then fallen over the past five years, the same cannot be said for its fatality rate. There were seven fatalities in 2014 and six the following year, but 2016's fatalities were nearly double at 11. 2017 fatality rates declined back down to seven, but 2018 saw another large jump of more than double to 15 deaths for the year. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any correlation at all between how many accidents occur in Laredo a year and how deadly those accidents have been, but there are many similarities with national trends as well.

Overall, Laredo's decline between 2016 and 2017 is in line with general accident fatalities in Texas, which went from 3,797 to 3,722 across both years. Additionally, national fatality rates declined over the same period in roughly the same proportion, declining to 37,133 from a high of 37,806. The fact that Laredo's fatality rate increased so much from 2017 to 2018. in late 2018 the Laredo PD did release a statement regarding the number of alcohol-related accidents in the city in a bid to reduce the impact of driving while intoxicated. This is a strong indicator that the number of DUI incidents in Laredo may have been a strong contributing factor to 2018's higher fatalities.

In the end, hopes are high that despite the disturbing jump in 2018, Laredo's fatality rates will continue to generally mirror national ones as they continue to decline.