Driving in West Texas is deadly dangerous. A new report measures how much

(The Texas Tribune) – ODESSA – Severe and fatal vehicle crashes occur at a higher rate in the Permian Basin than the rest of Texas, a new report released Wednesday by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute found. Commissioned by the Permian Road Safety Coalition, the report analyzed data from 2018 through 2022 and focuses on the 20 counties in West Texas and two in New Mexico that constitute the Permian Basin. Related Stories This is the organization’s first attempt at quantifying vehicle crashes occurring on the congested roads of the Permian Basin, a sprawling region that shoulders both the rush of the energy industry and everyday traffic. The Midland-based nonprofit hopes the report will spur solutions to make the region’s roads safer. The difference between the rate of severe and fatal crashes in West Texas compared to the rest of the state is striking. Nearly 15 crashes per 1,000 resulted in at least one death in the Permian Basin. During the same time period, the statewide average for the same type of crashes was 7 per 1,000. Put another way, crashes were twice as likely to be fatal in the Permian Basin than in the rest of Texas. More than...