I-45 in Texas: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 720 fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas killed 775 people, the 4th most of 443 numbered roads in Texas. In 2024 there were 73 fatal crashes and 79 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 12 counties of Texas. All fatal crashes in Texas. I-45 in every state.
Deaths on I-45 in Texas by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73 | 79 |
| 2023 | 70 | 73 |
| 2022 | 88 | 94 |
| 2021 | 74 | 85 |
| 2020 | 76 | 85 |
| 2019 | 69 | 70 |
| 2018 | 66 | 69 |
| 2017 | 61 | 70 |
| 2016 | 75 | 79 |
| 2015 | 68 | 71 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-45 in Texas: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Harris County had the most fatal crashes on I-45 from 2015 to 2024: 321, with 338 deaths. Harris, Dallas and Montgomery counties together held 62% of fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas from 2015 to 2024. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris County | 33 | 321 | 338 |
| 2 | Dallas County | 7 | 63 | 72 |
| 3 | Montgomery County | 10 | 63 | 67 |
| 4 | Galveston County | 4 | 53 | 55 |
| 5 | Freestone County | 2 | 49 | 55 |
| 6 | Ellis County | 8 | 43 | 46 |
| 7 | Walker County | 4 | 42 | 49 |
| 8 | Leon County | 2 | 37 | 42 |
| 9 | Navarro County | 2 | 29 | 31 |
| 10 | Madison County | 1 | 18 | 18 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-45 in Texas
The heaviest slot is Saturday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Friday), with 60 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 2 am to 3 am; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 5.3 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 34 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 4.9 percent, 35 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 4.0 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 14 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 16 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 16 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 2.4 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 19 fatal crashes | 0.4 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.7 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 0.6 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 19 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 2.9 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 20 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 16 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 4.0 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 11 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 18 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 25 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 8.3 percent, 60 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 30 fatal crashes | 1.2 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 1.1 percent, 8 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 32 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan8.6%
- Feb5.6%
- Mar8.8%
- Apr8.1%
- May9.3%
- Jun8.1%
- Jul6.5%
- Aug9.3%
- Sep8.5%
- Oct9.4%
- Nov8.9%
- Dec9.0%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-45 in Texas
25.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 285 miles of I-45 in Texas, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 3 of 12 interstates in Texas and 5 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 37%; a pedestrian in 24%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 22%, a rollover in 7.9%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 266 | 37% |
| Pedestrian | 176 | 24% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 158 | 22% |
| Rollover | 57 | 7.9% |
| Other | 34 | 4.7% |
| Parked vehicle | 25 | 3.5% |
| Cyclist | 4 | 0.6% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas compare with the state
The largest difference from Texas: from 2015 to 2024, 3.3% of fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas were at or near an intersection, against 22% across Texas. Also above the Texas share: drinking drivers, unbelted occupants, hit-and-runs and pedestrians. Below it: rural roads and speeding. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Texas. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 720 crashes.
| I-45 | Texas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 29% | 38% | below the Texas share |
| At or near an intersection | 3.3% | 22% | below the Texas share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 34% | 31% | about the same as the Texas share |
| A drinking driver | 30% | 26% | above the Texas share |
| Speeding | 28% | 32% | below the Texas share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 8.2% | 10% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 50% | 45% | above the Texas share |
| Hit-and-run | 11% | 7.6% | above the Texas share |
| A motorcycle involved | 13% | 14% | about the same as the Texas share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 27% | 18% | above the Texas share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-45 in Texas?
- 720 fatal crashes killed 775 people on I-45 in Texas from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 73 fatal crashes and 79 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-45 in Texas do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Harris County had the most fatal crashes on I-45 from 2015 to 2024: 321, with 338 deaths. Dallas County was second with 63.
- When do fatal crashes on I-45 in Texas happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Saturday, midnight to 4 am (the night from Friday), with 60 fatal crashes.
- How dangerous is I-45 in Texas per mile?
- 25.3 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 285 miles of road, against 15.4 for all interstates in Texas. That ranks 3 of 12 interstates in Texas and 5 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Texas with a page
All fatal crashes in Texas, with every road ranked.
Where the I-45 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-45 in Texas (filed under 33 spellings, such as "I-45", "I-45 AVE J", "I-45 CONNECTOR", "I-45 E"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.