A new study from TTI’s Transportation Policy Research Center shows a correlation between increased oil and gas drilling activity and crashes in energy-rich areas of the state. The findings are based on a comparison of two timeframes: 2006-2009 and 2010-2013 in the Permian Basin, Barnett Shale, and Eagle Ford Shale regions.
In both the Permian and Eagle Ford regions, the number of new wells increased significantly, as did the number of rural crashes involving commercial vehicles, and the total costs of crash injuries.
The new well count in the Barnett Shale dropped, as did the number of crashes and their associated injury costs. The same was true in counties outside those three regions, where drilling activity, crash frequency and injury costs all decreased over the timeframes that researchers examined.
The current study follows an examination of the impact of increased drilling activity on pavement conditions, published earlier this year.
Read the full report, “Oil and Gas Energy Developments and Changes in Crash Trends in Texas,” by Senior Research Engineer, Dr. Cesar Quiroga.