This year’s Texas Department of Transportation “Be Safe. Drive Smart” campaign will focus on safety especially in high-traffic oil and gas production areas.
In 2018, there were 109,597 traffic crashes in the 25-county Barnett Shale region that resulted in 710 deaths and 3,400 serious injuries. Failure to control speed and driver inattention were the top contributing factors in these crashes.Nearly half of traffic deaths in the state come from energy-producing areas.
The Barnett Shale region did see a drop in traffic crashes, dropping 2% from 2017 numbers and traffic fatalities fell 1%.
Drivers are urged to give trucks in oil and gas production areas plenty of space, avoid distractions, maintain a safe speed, and always wear a seat belt.