Interstate 45 Ranks Deadliest Highway in Texas
A Hartley Law Firm study ranks Texas highways by fatal crashes using 2024 federal data.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Drug Crime
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The Hartley Law Firm published a study ranking Texas highways by fatal crashes, drawing on 2024 records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Three interstates passing through San Antonio rank among the state's eight most dangerous highways.
Why it matters
The ranking highlights where fatal crash risk concentrates on major Texas routes that carry heavy daily traffic. Drivers across the state, particularly in San Antonio and along the Interstate 35 corridor, can use the findings to understand where crash density is highest.
The study measured fatal crashes per average 20-mile stretch using 2024 federal records, with Interstate 35 spanning 504 miles from Laredo to Dallas. Texas recorded 545 fatal highway crashes in 2024, and the study does not address causes behind the concentration on these routes.
The players
The Hartley Law Firm
A Texas personal injury law firm that published the study ranking highway crash danger.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The federal agency that maintains national records of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities.
The details
The study ranks Interstate 45, which runs through East Texas from Galveston to Dallas, as the most deadly route in the country. Interstate 35 ranks second among Texas highways, Interstate 10 ranks seventh and Interstate 37 ranks eighth.
Timeline
2024: Fatal crashes analyzed for the study on Texas highways.
November 1, 2026: Study on Texas' deadliest highways published.
Drug Crime Context
Traffic fatality records like those maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are often used alongside impaired-driving enforcement data to examine how drug-related offenses contribute to road deaths. This study does not address impairment or drug involvement in the crashes it ranks.
Drivers traveling Interstate 35 through Laredo, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, or Interstate 45 between Galveston and Dallas, should allow extra following distance and plan for congested stretches. Checking routes before long trips can help reduce exposure on the highways the study ranks as most deadly.
The takeaway
Knowing which highways carry the highest fatal crash counts can help Texas drivers adjust routes and driving habits on the corridors that appear most frequently in the ranking. Staying alert on long interstate stretches remains the practical step available to every driver.
Further reading
Explore more Drug Crime coverage for Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by San Antonio Express-News.
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