Texas Ranks In Top 5 For On-Ramp/Off-Ramp Fatal Crashes

We love to complain about it don't we? The on-ramps here in Amarillo. The majority of them are like a plane trying to takeoff on the shortest runway in America. Just like a plane, trying to get yourself up to speed is nearly impossible unless you jump the gun a bit.

The thing is, this isn't limited to just Amarillo. The on-ramp/off-ramp system in Texas as a whole is a relative mess. Any city you go to has its own problems when it comes to getting on and off the highway.

Some cities have short on-ramps like us, some have some very short off-ramps. So you're either stomping on the gas or slamming the brakes in most cities. The other issue is when you're exiting the highway, cars not yielding like they should to the cars getting off the highway.

This is one of the main problems in Amarillo, and it causes plenty of accidents as cars try to merge lanes to where they need to be.

Now, we have the data to back up all of our complaints. High Rise Financial analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) motor vehicle crash data, with an emphasis on how many fatal accidents occurred due to on-ramps and off-ramps.

Texas checked in at number five on the list, as in, the fifth most fatal accidents due to them. Not a good place to be, but 100% validates the amount of complaining and road rage related to the on-ramp/off-ramp system in the state.

2.54% of the fatal accidents that occurred in Texas between 2017 to 2021 were categorized as entrance/exit ramp crashes. The highest rate was actually Nevada at 2.91%, which actually makes perfect sense considering the amount of tourists every day there trying to find their way around.

With these numbers, you'd think that TxDOT would start to seriously look at how to improve the system to get on and off the highway, and they can start right here in Amarillo.