Undefeated Midland-Odessa Truck Accident Lawyers
The Permian Basin has become ground zero for severe and fatal traffic accidents in Texas.
In fact, according to a new study commissioned by the Permian Road Safety Coalition, truck and other motor vehicle crashes in the Midland-Odessa region and the rest of West Texas are twice as likely to prove deadly than those occurring in the rest of the state.
Permian Basin Averages 1 Deadly Crash Every Other Day
Conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the study analyzed data from 2018 through 2022 and focused on the 20 counties in West Texas and two in New Mexico that constitute the Permian Basin, including Ector, Midland, Andrews, Borden, Crane, Culberson, Dawson, Gaines, Glasscock, Howard, Loving, Martin, Pecos, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, Winkler and Yoakum County.
A total of 962 Permian crashes resulting in at least one death occurred throughout the five-year study period. That’s an average of nearly one fatal accident nearly every other day. The Midland-Odessa region (Ector and Midland counties) witnessed the most fatal crashes from 2018 through 2022, with more than 200.
Nearly 15 out of every 1,000 motor vehicle accidents that occurred in the Permian between 2018 and 2022 involved at least one fatality. Meanwhile, the rate of fatal crashes was just seven per 1,000 for all of Texas. The rate of fatal multivehicle crashes was also three times higher in West Texas compared to the rest of the state.
Oilfield Trucks on Rural Roads: A Deadly Combination
More than half of the fatal crashes reported in the Permian Basin from 2018 through 2022 involved heavy trucks, 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles making deliveries or transporting property. That’s double the statewide rate and not surprising given the heavy truck traffic generated by the Permian’s thriving energy industry.
Unfortunately, much of the region’s highway infrastructure remains ill-suited to the needs of the oil and gas sector. While the study authors found that traffic density in the Midland-Odessa region is comparable to other urban areas in Texas, the multi-lane highways that are fixtures in cities like Houston and Dallas are much less common in the Permian. As a result, many of the roads used by oilfield trucks and other big rigs transporting equipment and materials throughout the Midland-Odessa region and across West Texas remain single-lane.
“The Permian Basin is sparsely populated but heavily traveled,” said lead author Robert Wunderlich, according to The Texas Tribune. “We’ve got a rural environment with fairly high-speed traffic. We see the kinds of crashes that we see in urban areas.”
Why are Texas Energy-Producing Regions So Dangerous for Drivers?
This isn’t the first study highlighting the dangers of driving in the Midland-Odessa region and the rest of the Permian Basin. In fact, late last year, the Texas Department of Transportation reported that the state’s five major oil-producing regions had accounted for more than 25% of the fatal traffic accidents reported across the state during 2022, with the Permian Basin leading the way:
- Permian Basin: 26,031 traffic crashes resulted in 394 fatalities and 889 serious injuries.
- Barnett Shale: 20,776 traffic crashes resulted in 280 fatalities and 1,036 serious injuries.
- Eagle Ford Shale: 13,711 traffic crashes resulted in 186 fatalities and 590 serious injuries.
- Anadarko Basin: 635 traffic crashes resulted in 4 fatalities and 32 serious injuries.
- Haynesville/Bossier Shale: 17,594 traffic crashes resulted in 208 fatalities and 948 serious injuries.
TxDOT cited speed and driver inattention as leading contributors to the high accident rates plaguing the Permian and other Texas energy-producing hubs. However, commercial drivers also remain in short supply, forcing companies to turn to younger, less experienced drivers to keep their trucks and 18-wheelers moving to and from production sites.
It also doesn’t help that these truck drivers are typically subject to demanding schedules and often work long, irregular shifts that leave them overworked, exhausted, and at risk of falling asleep at the wheel.
Contact our Midland-Odessa Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636
Our Midland-Odessa Truck Accident Lawyers have won Billions for our clients and consistently recovered record-breaking verdicts and settlements for the victims of oilfield truck accidents and 18-wheeler crashes in Texas, New Mexico and across the United States.
If you or someone you love were hurt due to a Permian Basin truck accident, please call 1-888-603-5603 or use our contact form to send us a confidential email.
All consultations are free, and because we only represent clients for a contingency fee, you’ll owe nothing unless we win your case.