In Texas, someone has died on the roads every single day since November 7, 2000, the at-fault driver’s required insurance is only $30,000 per person, and an injured person has two years to file suit. Owsley Law Firm compiled the figures and rules below from TxDOT and the Texas statutes so they can be checked at the source.
Every row links to the primary source. Statutes link to the Texas Legislature’s official text; crash figures link to TxDOT. Figures are year-stamped. Nothing here is a case value or a guarantee.
Texas crash facts
TxDOT publishes annual Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics from the CR-3 crash reports every officer files. These are the headline figures. Check the linked TxDOT page for the current year.
| Item | Texas rule or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consecutive days with at least one traffic death on Texas roads | Every day since November 7, 2000 | TxDOT, #EndTheStreakTX |
| Traffic deaths in Texas, 2024 | 4,150 | TxDOT Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts, 2024 |
| Traffic deaths in Texas, 2023 | 4,291 | TxDOT Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts, 2023 |
| Persons injured in Texas motor vehicle crashes, 2024 | 251,977 | TxDOT Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts, 2024 |
| Texas county with the most traffic deaths | Harris County | TxDOT county crash tables |
| Where Texas crash reports are filed and purchased | TxDOT CRIS, about 10 days after the crash | TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System |
Texas insurance minimums and the coverage most people do not know they have
The minimums are why so many Texas injury claims exhaust the at-fault driver’s policy, and why your own coverage matters.
| Item | Texas rule or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum liability coverage (per person / per crash / property) | $30,000 / $60,000 / $25,000 | Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage | Must be offered; included unless rejected in writing | Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101 |
| Personal injury protection | Must be offered; $2,500 standard; pays regardless of fault | Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.152 |
| Rideshare coverage, driver logged in and waiting | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash / $25,000 property | Tex. Ins. Code ch. 1954 |
| Rideshare coverage, ride accepted through drop-off | $1,000,000 | Tex. Ins. Code ch. 1954 |
| Interstate motor carrier minimum, general freight | $750,000 | 49 C.F.R. § 387.9 |
| Interstate motor carrier minimum, hazardous materials | $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 depending on cargo | 49 C.F.R. § 387.9 |
Texas deadlines
The statute of limitations is the last day to file suit. Evidence deadlines are much shorter.
| Item | Texas rule or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury lawsuit | 2 years from the crash | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a) |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | 2 years from the date of death | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(b) |
| Notice of claim against a city, county, or the state | 6 months, and as short as 90 days under the Houston and San Antonio city charters | Texas Tort Claims Act, § 101.101 |
| Wrongful death filing window before the estate may file | 3 months after death | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.004 |
| Federal motor carrier retention of driver logs and supporting documents | 6 months | 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k) |
Texas fault and damages rules
These rules decide how much of a claim is paid, not just whether it is.
| Item | Texas rule or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fault system | At-fault (not no-fault); proportionate responsibility | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 33 |
| Bar to recovery | Claimant 51% or more at fault recovers nothing | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001 |
| Who may bring a wrongful death claim | Spouse, children, parents | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.004 |
| Survival claim (estate’s claim) | Passes to the estate; conscious pain, medical, funeral | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.021 |
| Exemplary (punitive) damages | Available for gross negligence; capped by statute | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code ch. 41 |
| Dram shop liability for bars | Serving an obviously intoxicated person who causes harm | Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 2.02 |
Texas rules of the road that decide fault
The traffic rules insurers and juries apply to the most common crash types.
| Item | Texas rule or figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Following distance (rear-end crashes) | Assured clear distance required | Tex. Transp. Code § 545.062 |
| Left turns (intersection crashes) | Turning driver must yield to oncoming traffic | Tex. Transp. Code § 545.152 |
| Texting while driving | Prohibited statewide | Tex. Transp. Code § 545.4251 |
| Pedestrians in crosswalks | Drivers must yield | Tex. Transp. Code § 552.003 |
| Leaving the scene of an injury crash | Felony | Tex. Transp. Code § 550.021 |
| Motorcycle helmets | Required under 21; adults exempt with training or insurance | Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003 |
| Truck driver hours of service | 11 hours driving in a 14-hour window; 60/70-hour weekly caps | 49 C.F.R. Part 395 |
How to use these figures
Insurance minimums explain why your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage so often decides a Texas case. The deadlines explain why the firm sends preservation letters the week a client calls, long before the two-year limit. The fault rules explain why a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer can cost a percentage of the recovery. Each is covered in depth on the firm’s practice pages and guides.
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