Round Rock, TX

History of Accidents in Round Rock

ty of Round Rock, just north of Austin, is a healthy community of more than 124,000 people. Accident rates over the past five years in Round Rock have been,  on average, trending upward. Net increases in annual accidents in the city have been relatively high, beginning at 2,099 in 2014 and ending at 2,848 in 2018, though the high point in accident volume came in 2017 when rates were recorded at 2,863.

Accident numbers rose their highest closer to the beginning of the five-year period, as 2015 saw 2,475 accidents. There were 228 more accidents in 2016, bringing that year's total to 2,703, though growth slowed significantly more in 2017 and then began to reverse once more the following year. This mirrors a general trend nationwide, as federal statistics found that accident volumes around the country began rising precipitously in 2015 and peaked in 2016 before beginning to ease off. Round Rock doesn't match this precisely, as the city reached its peak in 2017 instead of 2016, but the general pattern is intact, even if recovery was delayed when compared to national averages.

History of Fatalities in Round Rock

Fatality rates in Round Rock, meanwhile, are even more in line with the national average, which likewise peaked alongside accident volume in 2016 before dropping back off again. This means that during this time period 2014 was the least fatal year in Round Rock with just 4 deadly accidents. In 2015 this fatality rate doubled with 8 accidents for the year, while 2016 was the deadliest with 13, more than three times the fatality rate of 2014. Meanwhile, the fatality rate dropped to 9 in 2017 and remained stable at that figure through 2018 as well.

Overall this does mean that Round Rock has become significantly more dangerous a place to drive over the past five years. Not only are accident rates still high but the now-stabilized fatality rate is more than twice what it was in 2014. However, it's important to place these figures in context. Yes, it's true these numbers have risen but highway accident rates across the country are still much lower than they have been in the past. In fact, the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently revealed that while the US had an average of around 2 fatalities per 100 vehicle-miles in 1990, as of 2015, even while accident rates were on the rise, that number is still much reduced. In fact, it's closer to 1.25 fatalities per 100 vehicle-miles instead, meaning that roads are, on average, still much safer than they were almost 30 years ago.

Despite the hike in accidents and fatalities, overall road safety is likely to continue increasing over time. As older, less safe cars age out of use and newer ones with better safety features begin to dominate more and more, it's only a matter of time before these rates normalize or improve more significantly.