Using crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), we analyzed intersection-related crash patterns across the 11 cities that we serve, along with wider crash data trends for each. Findings are up-to-date as of August 2026.
6 metrics were compared:
- The top 3 most crash-prone intersections
- The most frequent contributing factor to crashes in the city
- The most common crash hour
- The most common crash day of the week
- The percentage of crashes resulting in suspected serious injury or fatalities
- The most frequently-occuring age of people involved
Key Findings
- Crash severity varied by roughly 7x across cities – The share of crashes resulting in suspected serious injury or fatalities ranged from a low of 0.5% in Laredo to a high of 3.7% in Dallas. This was the single widest spread of any metric collected.
- Age skewed consistently young – The most frequently occurring age for those involved in crashes was between 18 and 26 for all cities.
- Fridays and rush hour are near-universal – Crashes in all cities peaked at either 4pm or 5pm, and 10 out of 11 cities showed Friday as the most dangerous day of the week to drive.
Most Dangerous Intersections in Corpus Christi
SH 358 (South Padre Island Drive) is the clear common thread in Corpus Christi’s top intersections, unsurprising given that it’s the city’s primary east-west commercial corridor. The intersections with the most crashes in Corpus Christi in 2026 are:
- S Staples St and SH 358 – 38 crashes
- FM 43 and SH 358 – 36 crashes
- Everhart Rd and SH 358 – 32 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for Corpus Christi also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 2.3%
- Age – 19
Most Dangerous Intersections in Austin
Austin stands out as one of only two cities where the top contributing factor to crashes was not “failed to control speed.” Its mode age of 26 is also among the oldest in the dataset. The intersections with the most crashes in Austin in 2026 are:
- IH 35 and SL 343 – 57 crashes
- IH 35 and SH 71 – 45 crashes
- SH 45 and US 183 – 38 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for Austin also include:
- Contributing Factor – Driver inattention
- Crash Hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 3.2%
- Age – 26
Most Dangerous Intersections in Dallas
Dallas is the only city in the dataset where Friday isn’t the peak crash day. It also carries the highest severity rate of all cities in the study. The intersections with the most crashes in Dallas in 2026 are:
- IH 35E and SH 183 – 70 crashes
- IH 35 E and Spur 366 – 69 crashes
- IH 635 and Skillman St – 61 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for Dallas also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Saturday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 3.7%
- Age – 25
Most Dangerous Intersections in Houston
Despite having the largest crash volume of any city in this study, the severity of crashes in Houston actually sits below the midpoint. Raw crash counts don’t necessarily equal more dangerous cities. The intersections with the most crashes in Houston in 2026 are:
- IH 69 and Loop 8 – 95 crashes
- IH 69 and IH 610 – 94 crashes
- IH 45 and IH 610 – 93 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for Houson also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 4pm-5pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 2.2%
- Age – 21
Most Dangerous Intersections in San Antonio
Despite having the second-highest total crash volume, San Antonio also has the second-lowest crash severity rate. It is also the second city where the leading cause of crashes is “driver inattention.” The intersections with the most crashes in San Antonio in 2026 are:
- IH 10 and Loop 1604 – 97 crashes
- Loop 1604 and US 281 – 95 crashes
- IH 35 and IH 410 – 89 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for San Antonio also include:
- Contributing Factor – Driver inattention
- Crash Hour – 4pm-5pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 1.6%
- Age – 19
Most Dangerous Intersections in Waco
IH 35 anchors Waco’s top two intersections, reflecting the city’s position directly on the interstate corridor between Dallas and Austin. The intersections with the most crashes in Waco in 2026 are:
- IH 35 and Loop 396 – 40 crashes
- IH 35 and Loop 2 – 24 crashes
- SH 6 and US 84 – 23 crashes
Top city-wide crash findings for Waco also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 2.3%
- Age – 19
Most Dangerous Intersections in Odessa
A single corridor, SH 191, accounts for all three of Odessa’s top crash intersections, which is a more concentrated pattern than any other city in this study. The intersections with the most crashes in Odessa in 2026 are:
- SH 191 and US 385 – 78 crashes
- SH 191 and Loop 338 – 70 crashes
- SH 191 and SS 588 – 57 crashes
Top city-wide findings for Odessa also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 1.8%
- Age – 18
Most Dangerous Intersections in El Paso
It’s worth noting that El Paso is a data-quality outlier. Its most frequent contributing factor was not described in the TxDOT data. Its intersection data also included an unusually high number of unknown location entries, making it somewhat more difficult to outline its top crash intersections. That being said, the intersections with the most crashes in El Paso in 2026 (with reliable data) are:
- IH 10 and SH 20 – 58 crashes
- FM 659 and Loop 375 – 52 crashes
- IH 10 and SH 178 – 49 crashes
Top city-wide findings for El Paso also include:
- Contributing Factor – Unknown
- Crash Hour – 4pm-5pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 1.6%
- Age – 19
Most Dangerous Intersections in Plano
Plano showed the second-lowest crash severity rate in the study, which is consistent with its reputation as a safer, lower-density suburban area as opposed to the larger metro areas it neighbors. The intersections with the most crashes in Plano in 2026 are:
- Legacy Dr and N Dallas Pkwy – 23 crashes
- Legacy Dr and SH 289 – 21 crashes
- Coit Rd and W Park Blvd – 20 crashes
Top city-wide findings for Plano also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 1.5%
- Age – 18
Most Dangerous Intersections in Laredo
Laredo has the lowest severity rate by far of all cities in this study. Similar to Waco, its top intersections are all anchored on IH 35, reflecting the town’s position at the interstate’s southern terminus. The intersections with the most crashes in Laredo in 2026 are:
- IH 35 and US 83 – 52 crashes
- IH 35 and US 59 – 44 crashes
- Bus 59Z and IH 35 – 29 crashes
Top city-wide findings for Laredo also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 4pm-5pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 0.5%
- Age – 20
Most Dangerous Intersections in McAllen
Like Waco and Laredo, McAllen’s top intersections cluster on a single corridor (IH 2, the city’s main east-west thoroughfare) which reflects how smaller Texas cities have more concentrated crash risks on one dominant highway. The intersections with the most crashes in McAllen in 2026 are:
- IH 2 and SH 336 – 30 crashes
- FM 2220 and IH 2 – 35 crashes
- IH 2 and SS 115 – 19 crashes
Top city-wide findings for McAllen also include:
- Contributing Factor – Failed to control speed
- Crash Hour – 5pm-6pm
- Day of the Week – Friday
- Serious Injury/Fatality – 1.8%
- Age – 18
What This Means for Texas Drivers
Across the 11 cities we analyzed, one thing stood out: dangerous intersections cluster around the same highways, peak at the same times of day, and trace back to the same preventable causes of speeding and driver inattention. Despite these similarities, every city has its own risk profile and every crash has its own story.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash, you don’t have to make sense of it alone. The Patel Firm has helped car injury victims across the state of Texas hold negligent drivers and insurance companies accountable. With offices across the state, we’re built to serve Texans wherever the road takes them. Contact us today to learn more.
