Thanksgiving Travel Warning: Avoid Texas’s ‘Highway of Death’

Did you know that the highway that's responsible for the most fatal accidents in Texas is also among the most deadly in the U.S? Something to keep in mind while travelling over the Thanksgiving holiday.

And even though it's a relatively short and primarily north-south route, the highway has a notorious reputation for high traffic volume, extreme congestion, which leads to its notoriously high accident rates.

I-45 in Houston, 'The Highway of Death'

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These higher-than-normal fatal accident rates on I-45 out of Houston, studies show, are due to many factors, including "heavy urban traffic, poor infrastructure, and driver error." If you've never driven I-45, it always seems to be a mess. It's an Interstate, located entirely within Texas, that connects Galveston on the Gulf Coast in the south to Dallas in the north.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), "the city of Houston saw more than 64,00 traffic accidents last year. Those incidents included 189 fatal crashes that resulted in the deaths of 197 people."

You'll be shocked to learn that Popular Mechanics reports that "Interstate 45 sees 56.5 fatal accidents for every 100 miles of highway. The worst section runs right through the Bayou City." That is a shocking number of deaths every year on one Texas highway. In 2023, over 100 people lost their lives while traveling on I-45. Remember always to be a defensive driver.

Tips To Drive Defensively.

1. Always remain alert to your surroundings
2. Maintain a safe following distance (at least three seconds)
3. Avoid distractions like your phone or eating,
4. Anticipate the unexpected actions of other drivers.

Drive safe out there this holiday season, y'all.