Lumberton Road Safety Overview

Posted: August 6, 2024/Under: Road Safety/By: Make Roads Safe

Lumberton Road Safety Overview

Road safety is a serious concern in Texas. The state has the second-highest population in the country, and according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it also had the second-highest number of fatal accidents in 2022 at 4,408.

While this doesn’t place the state in the top 10 for deaths per 100,000 population or deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, it does mean the state has above-average numbers in both categories. This means that your chances of getting into a fatal car accident in Texas are higher than in the average state.

Lumberton, Texas

Lumberton, Texas, is a small town on the eastern edge of Texas, just north of Beaumont. As of 2024, it has a population of just 14,473. This low population makes it difficult to accurately determine how dangerous roads are in Lumberton.

For example, according to City-Data, there was one fatal accident in Lumberton in 2021, which resulted in 1 fatality. Looking only at that year, that would mean the accident fatality rate in Lumberton was roughly 7 deaths per 100,000 population, placing it at about half the rate of Texas.

However, in one recent year, there were 2 fatal accidents resulting in 2 fatalities. That would place Lumberton almost exactly at the median for the state. The low population means that the difference of even a single fatality has a significant effect on the statistics.

The most recent data from the Texas Department of Transportation (DOT) indicates that, as of April 24, 2024, there have been no fatal accidents in Lumberton in 2024. There have been 242 accidents reported to the DOT in Lumberton in 2024.

Overall, 5 of those accidents are suspected to have resulted in serious injuries, and 28 more are presumed to have resulted in minor injuries. At least 184 were reported to have resulted in no injuries.

Causes of Accidents in Lumberton

Using the same information from the City-Data, there are few statistics for the causes of accidents in Lumberton. One of the few statistics available indicates that fatal accidents in Lumberton typically do not involve drunk driving. From a recent three-year period, there were 5 fatal accidents resulting in 5 fatalities. None of those accidents involved drunk drivers.

Conversely, 3 of those 5 fatal accidents involved pedestrians. That makes pedestrian accidents particularly dangerous in Lumberton.

Hardin County Statistics

Lumberton is located in Hardin County. It is one of the smallest counties in the state, with a population of only slightly more than 56,000. Lumberton, at one-quarter the population of the county, is the largest city in the county.

While there is limited data on what causes accidents in Lumberton, the state maintains some data for the cause of accidents in counties. As of April 24, 2024, the following are true in Hardin County:

These figures help to illustrate the dangers of speeding and distracted driving.

Texas Accident Statistics

There are more robust accident statistics for Texas roads. TxDOT maintains statistics for all crashes, including where crashes are most common.

The most common roads for crashes in Texas are roads with four or more undivided lanes in urban areas. The accident rate on these roads is 320.87 per 100 million vehicle miles driven. The lowest accident rate is 57.96 per 100 million vehicle miles driven on divided rural roads with four or more lanes.

As a rule, urban roads have more accidents than rural roads. For example, the accident rate on rural parts of the Interstate Highway System is 51.64 per 100 million vehicle miles. This rate more than triples to 153.90 in urban parts of the Interstate Highway System.

Texas Crash Facts

The Texas DOT also reports additional facts about Texas accidents. In the year 2023, all of the following were true:

  • Over ¼ of all traffic accident deaths were due to an accident involving a driver under the influence of alcohol
  • The highest number of alcohol crashes were reported between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Sundays
  • Distracted driving was the cause of roughly 10% of all accident fatalities
  • The average number of fatalities per month was approximately 357, and the average number of fatalities per day was almost 12
  • June and August were the deadliest months, both resulting in 390 fatalities
  • At least one person died in a car accident every day in 2023
  • Roughly ¼ of all traffic accident deaths occurred at or near intersections
  • Accidents in rural areas accounted for more than half of all fatalities
  • Combined, drivers traveled almost 300 billion miles in Texas in 2023
  • Slightly more than 250,000 people were in traffic accidents
  • Nearly half of all people who died in a traffic accident were not wearing their seat belts
  • Pedestrian fatalities represent roughly 20% of all car accident fatalities
  • Almost 600 motorcyclists were killed in 2023
  • 40% of motorcyclists that died were not wearing a helmet
  • The most common cause of accidents in both urban and rural locations was speeding

The most telling statistics are that at least one person died in a car accident every single day of the year and that drunk driving accidents are most common in the early morning hours of Sunday.

This makes it clear that there are no safe times to drive. You always need to pay attention to your surroundings when driving a vehicle in Texas.

Driving Safely in Lumberton, Texas

Lumberton, Texas, is an urban area in a rural part of the state. This means that both urban and rural statistics apply to car accidents in Lumberton. The most dangerous activity in both areas is speeding.

When driving in or near Lumberton, you should maintain safe speeds at all times, especially during the evening hours. If you see someone traveling at unsafe speeds, it is typically better to pull over and let them pass than to stay on the road and risk an accident.