Published by Carabin Shaw – San Antonio Personal Injury Attorneys

Top 10 Causes of Car Accidents in San Antonio – TxDOT Insights

San Antonio car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw have handled injury claims across Bexar County for more than 34 years, and one question comes up constantly: why did this crash happen? The answer shapes everything from fault to compensation. According to the TxDOT Crash Records Information System (CRIS), Texas roads see hundreds of thousands of reported crashes each year, and San Antonio’s dense highway network — I-10, I-35, Loop 410, Loop 1604 — consistently ranks among the state’s most hazardous corridors.

A San Antonio car accident is rarely a random event. TxDOT data points to repeating patterns of driver behavior and road conditions that cause the overwhelming majority of collisions in Bexar County. Understanding those patterns matters to you because it establishes negligence — the legal foundation for recovering medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering after a serious auto crash.

Below are the ten leading causes backed by Texas crash data, each placed in the real-world context of San Antonio streets and highways. If any of these factors contributed to your San Antonio car accident, an experienced attorney can help you build a case.

1. Speeding

Speed is the single most documented crash factor in Texas. TxDOT CRIS data shows that speeding-related crashes account for a significant share of serious injury and fatal collisions statewide each year. On San Antonio’s high-volume interstates — I-35 through downtown, I-10 on the west and east sides — vehicles routinely travel well above posted limits, shrinking reaction time to nearly nothing. When a driver is speeding, every other risk on this list becomes more lethal.

2. Distracted Driving

Distraction is the fastest-growing crash cause in Texas. TxDOT data ties thousands of annual crashes to driver inattention, with cell phone use at the top of the list. Texting at 55 mph is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed — a fact that applies equally to Loop 410 at rush hour and a quiet Bexar County back road. Even a one-second glance away can end a life.

3. Driving Under the Influence

Impaired driving crashes kill more Texans than almost any other cause. NHTSA reports that drunk driving claimed over 13,000 lives nationally in a recent year — roughly one death every 39 minutes. San Antonio’s active entertainment districts along the River Walk, downtown, and the Pearl area generate elevated DUI risk late at night and on weekends. An impaired driver who hits you carries both criminal liability and civil responsibility for every injury they cause.

4. Failure to Yield the Right of Way

Failure to yield is consistently among the top causes of intersection crashes in TxDOT annual summaries. San Antonio’s grid of busy commercial corridors — Bandera Road, Culebra, Military Drive — is full of intersections where drivers misjudge gaps or simply ignore right-of-way rules. Left-turn crashes are especially common and especially dangerous for the vehicle in the opposing lane.

5. Running Red Lights and Stop Signs

Signal and sign violations send thousands of Texans to emergency rooms each year. T-bone collisions from red-light running are among the most severe crash types because the struck vehicle absorbs full lateral impact at full speed. High-traffic intersections near Loop 1604 and the US-281 corridor see this pattern repeatedly, often resulting in catastrophic injuries to drivers and passengers who had every legal right to proceed.

6. Tailgating and Following Too Closely

Rear-end crashes make up a large portion of all reported Texas collisions, and most are caused by a driver following too closely to stop in time. On San Antonio’s congested freeways — I-10 west toward Leon Valley, I-35 south toward Laredo — sudden traffic slowdowns turn tailgating into a chain reaction of impacts. Rear-end collisions frequently cause whiplash, herniated discs, and traumatic brain injuries that are easy to underestimate in the days right after a crash.

7. Unsafe Lane Changes

Abrupt or unmarked lane changes are a daily hazard on multi-lane San Antonio highways. TxDOT classifies these as “failure to control speed / improper lane change” violations that regularly produce sideswipe and spin-out collisions. The merge zones near I-410 and I-35 interchanges are notorious choke points where drivers cut across lanes without checking blind spots, catching adjacent vehicles with nowhere to go.

8. Drowsy Driving

Fatigued driving mimics intoxication in its effects on reaction time and judgment. NHTSA estimates that drowsy driving causes tens of thousands of crashes annually across the country, though the figure is likely undercounted because fatigue is hard to prove at a crash scene. Commercial truck routes along I-35 and I-10 — both major freight corridors through San Antonio — put drowsy truckers and passenger car drivers on the same road at 3 a.m., a combination that produces some of the worst crash outcomes.

9. Weather and Road Conditions

South Texas weather is underestimated as a crash factor. Flash floods wash over low-water crossings throughout Bexar County, and TxDOT data consistently shows a spike in wet-road collisions during rain events. Drivers who fail to slow for standing water or fog are legally negligent when that failure causes a wreck. Even mild rain on roads coated with oil residue can turn a routine commute into a skidding collision.

10. Inexperienced and Teen Drivers

Young drivers are statistically overrepresented in Texas crash data. Per NHTSA, teen drivers have crash rates significantly higher than any other age group, largely because of limited hazard recognition and risk tolerance. In a metro area the size of San Antonio, with high school campuses feeding directly onto six-lane arterials, teen-involved crashes are a daily occurrence. When a young driver’s negligence injures you, their parents or guardians may share liability under Texas law.

What to Do After a San Antonio Car Wreck

If any of the above factors played a role in your collision, the evidence you preserve in the days right after the crash can determine whether you recover full compensation or settle for far less than your injuries are worth. Photograph the scene, get witness contact information, seek medical attention the same day, and avoid giving recorded statements to any insurance adjuster before speaking with a lawyer.

The San Antonio auto accident attorneys at Carabin Shaw have represented injury victims in Bexar County for more than 34 years. The firm works on contingency — you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call (800) 862-1260 any time for a free, no-obligation consultation. You deserve honest answers about your case, and you deserve them now. Visit carabinshaw.com to get started.