In Drilling Towns, More Traffic Means More Deaths
Newly cracked, chipped and crowded roads in and between boom communities have meant more than just traffic jams for local commuters. They’ve also proved deadly.
Each day, as thousands of industry trucks and 18-wheelers transport flammable substances and equipment on roads ill-prepared to handle them, drilling regions are seeing an increase in deadly accidents — many of them involving commercial vehicles.
Use the slideshow above to see how the percentage of fatal traffic accidents in the Eagle Ford Shale and Permian Basin regions has changed — and how those rates compare with the rest of the state.
Editor’s Note: This story previously identified Texas State Highway 85 as Interstate 85.
