One resource or another places the number of vehicle deaths annually at anywhere between 43,000 and 50,000. Let's go with the higher number because it's easier to visualize - and it means there are a thousand deaths per state in this country each year. Divided by 365 days and that works out to be about 3 deaths per day per state. (Of course these are estimates -states with smaller populations have smaller death statistics whereas as recently as 2007 there were 3300 fatalities in Texas and a large share of those in or around Houston).
Well here we are in August and if the statistics are even remotely accurate there should have been around 2000 deaths to date in Texas from car and truck accidents.
Try as I might to get this information - it eludes me - in part because statistics are compiled annually.
Never fear, though, a review of the daily news offers information on the latest accidents and fatalities. Truly, you can't open a newspaper, turn on a television or radio station or surf the net in any way without being confronted by the stark reality of vehicle collisions.
I stumbled on a series of 25 amateur videos posted on You Tube that depicted truck accidents in all their horror. Would I suggest you watch them? Only if they serve as a cautionary reminder of how quickly the roads can become deadly.
I would however, recommend taking your teenage children to an emergency room sometime before they get their license so they can see the realties of unsafe driving in as much graphic detail as you can stomach.
Baumgartner is a Houston wrongful death attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner firm, a Texas personal injury law firm dedicated to helping injury victims seek civil justice.
