State Highway 72 in Eagle Ford. (Mayra Beltran, Marie D. De Jesus / Houston Chronicle)
Texas has become the deadliest state in total traffic fatalities during the last five years of the state’s ongoing drilling and fracking boom. From 2009-2014, deaths from traffic accidents, and from crashes involving commercial vehicles, both climbed after decades of declines. There’s no way to tell exactly how many of these deaths relate directly to oil patch commuters or hauling trucks – police don’t include that information in crash reports. But counties that are part of the Eagle Ford and the Permian Basin shale plays, as well urban hubs near the busiest well sites, have seen some of the biggest increases. Nationwide, oilfield workers are far more likely to die on the road than other workers and Texas hauling trucks are more likely to flunk inspections than those in other states. This series explores why and where many oilfield-related traffic deaths occur.
This is a joint investigation by the Houston Chronicle and Houston Public Media News 88.7.
Counties in or near major drilling and fracking areas in Texas saw some of the largest reported increases in traffic-related deaths in the last five years. However, 130 Texas counties reported more fatal accidents in 2013 compared to 2009. The biggest circles show counties that reported 10 or more fatalities in 2013 compared to 2009. Click on the circle to see how many fatalities occurred in 2009 and in 2013 by county. Counties with no increase are unmarked. Map by Matt Dempsey.