Studies have shown that the drilling and fracking boom has been a major contributor to fatal accidents for industry workers, and also for vehicle drivers on Texas roadways. Texas currently has one of the highest accident rates of any state in the country.
Transportation accidents are a major cause of workplace deaths in Texas. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, oil patch workers are 8.5 times more likely than other private employees to die as a result of a work-related transportation accident. According to an Associated Press data analysis, traffic deaths are up an average of 18 percent in Texas drilling counties while non-drilling counties in Texas counties are down 20 percent.
Oil and gas extraction has always been hazardous work, but the economic boom has brought about a surge of traffic on Texas highways. The surge in traffic accidents can be attributed to a more developed type of fracturing process. Hydraulic-fracturing extracts oil and gas by injecting high-pressure mixtures of sand, water, gravel or chemicals. This newer drilling technique requires up to 4,000 truck trips per well to deliver the certain fluids, leading to an influx of commercial trucks on roadways. Oil and gas companies are also hiring workers and drivers at higher than normal rates, leading to more inexperienced and tired drivers on Texas roads.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a traffic accident, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.