Report: Nearly 200 people died in crashes in Travis County in 2023

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Travis County Coroner’s Office reported nearly 200 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in the county in 2023, according to the latest 2023 coroner’s report.

The vast majority of these deaths were traffic fatalities, with 97 people losing their lives in 2023. The traffic fatalities have been followed by pedestrian traffic-related deaths, with 57 people killed last year.

Last year, 28 motorcyclists, eight cyclists, four in unknown circumstances, one on an electric scooter, one on a minibike, one on a boat and one in a wheelchair were killed.

Broken down by age, the vast majority of people involved in motor vehicle-related deaths were between 21 and 30 years old, with 44 deaths reported in this age group. Among those aged 31 to 40, 37 died, and 33 people aged 61 to 70 also died in motor vehicle-related accidents.

Looking at road fatalities, 50% of reported deaths – or 48 deaths – involved people who were not wearing seat belts. Thirty-eight people were reportedly killed while wearing seat belts and 11 people died because their seat belt status was unknown.

Most people killed in car accidents nationwide were drivers, with 63 deaths. Among passengers, 34 died as a result of automobile-related deaths in 2023.

Most of the 28 motorcyclists killed were between the ages of 21 and 30 and between the ages of 31 and 40, with seven people killed in each age group. Twenty of those killed were wearing helmets at the time of their deaths, while eight motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets.

Of all 198 motor vehicle-related deaths recorded in Travis County in 2023, 27% – or 53 – involved alcohol. Here’s a breakdown of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of these alcohol-related deaths.

• 0.00-0.07% BAC detected: 9 deaths
• 0.08%–0.16% BAC detected: 18 deaths
• 0.17–0.24% BAC detected: 21 deaths
• More than 24% BAC detected: 5 deaths

When looking at fatal traffic accidents in Travis County, the report outlined the “role of the deceased” when the person killed was found to be under the influence of alcohol:

• Driver: 23 fatalities, 43% of the total
• Passengers: seven deaths, 13% of the total
• Pedestrians: 15 fatalities, 28% of the total
• Motorcyclists: five fatalities, 10% of the total
• Wheelchair users: one fatality, 2% of the total
• Status unknown: two deaths, 4% of the total

Comparison of traffic fatalities in Travis County in 2023 with previous years

There were 193 traffic fatalities in Travis County in 2022. These were divided into the following categories:

• Motorists: 103 fatalities, 53% of the total
• Pedestrians: 53 fatalities, 27% of the total
• Motorcyclists: 27 fatalities, 14% of the total
• Cyclists: four deaths, 2% of the total
• Scooter riders: three deaths, 2% of the total
• Riding lawnmower users: one death, 1% of the total
• Skateboarders: one fatality, 1% of the total
• Jet ski users: one death, 1% of total

Of those 193 deaths, 73 – or 38% – were due to alcohol.

In comparison, 177 people lost their lives in motor vehicle-related deaths in the TCME’s 2021 annual report. These included:

• Drivers: 95 deaths, 54% of the total
• Pedestrians: 50 fatalities, 28% of the total
• Motorcyclists: 20 fatalities, 11% of the total
• Cyclists: four deaths, 2% of the total
• Scooter riders: four deaths, 2% of the total
• Moped riders: two deaths, 1% of the total
• Tractor driver: one fatality, 1% of the total
• Pilots: one fatality, 1% of the total

Of traffic fatalities in 2021, 58 – or 32% – were due to alcohol.

The 2020 report found that there were 166 motor vehicle-related deaths in Travis County. The metrics in this breakdown varied slightly but included:

• Drivers: 81 fatalities, 49% of the total
• Passengers: 27 fatalities, 16% of the total
• Pedestrians: 46 deaths, 28% of the total
• Motorcyclists: seven fatalities, 4% of the total
• Cyclists: four deaths, 2% of the total
• Scooter riders: one fatality, 1% of the total

Of those 166 traffic-related deaths, there were 49 where alcohol was involved. That’s nearly 30% of all traffic-related deaths recorded in Travis County.

As of 2019, there were 140 motor vehicle-related deaths in Travis County, broken down into the following categories:

• Drivers: 55 fatalities, 39% of the total
• Passengers: 20 deaths, 14% of the total
• Pedestrians: 39 fatalities, 28% of the total
• Motorcyclists: 18 fatalities, 13% of the total
• Cyclists: six fatalities, 4% of the total
• Boat users: one death, 1% of total
• Scooter riders: one fatality, 1% of the total

Among the 140 traffic fatalities, 55 deaths were alcohol-related.

According to 2018 reporting data, 154 traffic-related deaths were reported in the county:

• Driver: 71 fatalities, 46% of the total
• Motorcyclists: 14 fatalities, 9% of the total
• Passenger: 23 fatalities, 15% of the total
• Pedestrians: 41 fatalities, 27% of the total
• Rear passengers: one death, 1% of the total
• Unknown users: three deaths, 2% of the total
• Cyclists: one fatality, 1% of the total

Alcohol consumption was involved in 36 of those deaths in 2018, according to the ME report.