I-10 accidents in Houston: crash data by year (2018–2024)
City of Houston and NHTSA crash counts for I-10 (Katy and East Freeway) by year, the fatal share of serious crashes, and the county-wide picture.
The short answer
In official City of Houston crash data, I-10 had 490 crashes from 2018 to 2023 in which someone was killed or seriously injured. 97 of them were fatal, about 20%, compared with about 17% across all Houston streets. Federal FARS data counts between 19 and 41 fatal crashes a year on I-10 in Harris County from 2019 to 2024, and only about 63% of them were inside the City of Houston.
This page goes further than our guide to Houston's highest-injury roads: it gives I-10's counts of people killed and seriously injured by year, the share of serious crashes that were fatal, the county-wide picture year by year, and what the records say about where on the freeway crashes happened. It is general information about public data, not legal advice, and it says nothing about any particular crash.
Key facts (data as of 2026-10-22)
- Data sources. The City of Houston's Vision Zero layer of traffic deaths and serious injuries, January 2018 to May 2024 (from TxDOT's crash records system, CRIS), and NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for Harris County, 2019 to 2024. See Vision Zero Houston and NHTSA FARS.
- 2018 to 2023, City data. 490 KSI crashes on I-10 (crashes in which someone was killed or suspected seriously injured), 97 of them fatal; 100 people killed and 431 seriously injured. That is about 5% of the 9,528 KSI crashes on all streets in the dataset, and about 6% of its 1,621 fatal crashes.
- Fatal share. About 20% of I-10's KSI crashes were fatal, against about 17% on all streets in the same data.
- 2019 to 2024, FARS. 186 fatal crashes on I-10 in Harris County, in which 197 people died; 118 of those crashes (about 63%) were recorded inside the City of Houston.
- Download the numbers. houston-corridor-crashes-2018-2024.csv has every count on this page by road, source and year.
- Data credit. NHTSA FARS data is a work of the U.S. government and is not under copyright (17 U.S.C. §105). The City of Houston layer is public data published by the City of Houston Planning & Development Department from TxDOT CRIS records; the City does not state a license for it. Please credit "City of Houston Vision Zero (TxDOT CRIS)" and "NHTSA FARS".
How many serious crashes happened on I-10 each year?
City of Houston data, crashes in and near the city. A crash is counted once, however many people were hurt; a crash is fatal if anyone died.
| Year | KSI crashes | Fatal crashes | Serious-injury crashes | People killed | People seriously injured | Share of KSI crashes that were fatal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 61 | 11 | 50 | 11 | 54 | 18% |
| 2019 | 88 | 14 | 74 | 15 | 86 | 16% |
| 2020 | 67 | 12 | 55 | 12 | 62 | 18% |
| 2021 | 81 | 14 | 67 | 15 | 71 | 17% |
| 2022 | 109 | 25 | 84 | 25 | 92 | 23% |
| 2023 | 84 | 21 | 63 | 22 | 66 | 25% |
| 2024 | 37 (Jan–May only) | 10 (Jan–May only) | 27 (Jan–May only) | 10 (Jan–May only) | 29 (Jan–May only) | 27% (Jan–May only) |
From 2018 to 2023, I-10 had between 61 and 109 KSI crashes a year, with the highest count in 2022. The number of people killed in a single year ranged from 11 to 25.
What share of I-10's serious crashes were fatal?
Of I-10's 490 KSI crashes from 2018 to 2023, 97 were fatal: about 20%. On all streets in the City data for the same years, 1,621 of 9,528 KSI crashes were fatal: about 17%. By year, I-10's share ranged from 16% (2019) to 25% (2023), and it was higher in 2022 and 2023 than in any of the four years before.
What this can say: in the City data, a somewhat larger share of I-10's serious crashes ended in a death than across Houston streets as a whole, and the share rose in 2022 and 2023. What it can't say: why. The data does not record speeds, traffic volumes, construction or the causes of crashes, and a share computed from a few dozen fatal crashes a year can move several points from one year to the next.
How many fatal crashes did FARS count on I-10 county-wide?
NHTSA's FARS covers every fatal crash in Harris County, inside and outside the City of Houston, and counts a death if it happened within 30 days of the crash.
| Year | Fatal crashes, Harris County | People killed, Harris County | Fatal crashes inside the City of Houston | Share inside the city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 26 | 27 | 14 | 54% |
| 2020 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 58% |
| 2021 | 28 | 31 | 18 | 64% |
| 2022 | 40 | 40 | 28 | 70% |
| 2023 | 41 | 47 | 22 | 54% |
| 2024 | 32 | 33 | 25 | 78% |
From 2019 to 2024, FARS counts 186 fatal crashes on I-10 in Harris County, about 6% of the 2,979 fatal crashes on all roads in the county. About 63% of them (118) were recorded inside the City of Houston, a little more than the share for all Harris County roads (1,723 of 2,979, about 58%). Much of I-10's length in Harris County lies outside the City data, so the FARS columns are the better guide to the county-wide count.
Where on I-10 do the serious crashes happen?
The data can only partly answer this.
At intersections. Our intersection study groups City KSI crashes from 2021 to 2023 that happened within about 250 feet (76 metres) of the same spot. Of the 17 Houston locations with at least 5 KSI crashes, one is on I-10, east of downtown:
| Rank among the 17 | Location | KSI crashes, 2021–2023 | Fatal crashes | People killed | People seriously injured | KSI crashes by year (2021 / 2022 / 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | I-10 at Federal Rd | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 / 0 / 2 |
A location like this one can include crashes on the frontage roads and at the cross street, so its crashes are not all part of the I-10 counts above.
In how the road was recorded. FARS records the road name the way the reporting officer wrote it. Of the 186 fatal crashes on I-10 in Harris County from 2019 to 2024:
- 38 were recorded with "Katy Freeway" in the road name and 38 with "East Freeway"; the other 110 were recorded only as I-10 (or with another name), so they cannot be placed on either side of downtown;
- 12 were recorded on a ramp; and
- 30 were recorded on a frontage or service road.
The City data is less specific: it records 521 of its 527 I-10 KSI crashes from January 2018 to May 2024 simply as "IH0010", without a side, lane or ramp.
How were these numbers built, and what can't they tell you?
The method is the same as in our guide to Houston's highest-injury roads, which explains it in full:
- Every name I-10 goes by. I-10, IH0010, Katy Freeway and East Freeway are all counted, including crashes on frontage roads, which crash records file under the freeway's name.
- Main street only. A crash at a cross street counts toward I-10 only if the report lists I-10 as the main street, so the counts are conservative.
- Two sources, two scopes. The City data covers crashes in and near Houston, not all of I-10 in Harris County. FARS covers the whole county but only fatal crashes.
- Counts, not rates. The numbers are not adjusted for traffic volume or road length, so they do not show the risk of any single trip.
- Not every crash. Only crashes with a death or suspected serious injury are in the public City layer. The City data ends in May 2024, and NHTSA can revise its most recent FARS file.
- No causes or fault. The counts do not say why any crash happened or who was responsible.
Nothing in the data or on this page identifies any person; it contains counts only.
Where can I get the crash report for a crash on I-10?
A Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (form CR-3) is written by the law enforcement agency that investigated the crash and filed with TxDOT. See How to get a crash report in Houston for Houston-area agencies, How to get a Texas crash report for the statewide process, and How to read a Texas crash report for what the fields and codes on the form mean.
Related Houston information
- Houston's highest-injury roads (crash data): I-10 compared with I-45, the 610 Loop, Beltway 8, US-59/I-69 and Westheimer Road.
- I-45 crash data and Beltway 8 crash data: the same deep dive for two other Houston freeways.
- Truck accidents on Texas highways: Texas rules for crashes involving commercial trucks.
- Houston car accident information: local crash-report offices, courts and roads.
About InjuryClaimGuide
InjuryClaimGuide is a legal advertising service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. We do not recommend or endorse any attorney, and we do not analyze the merits of any potential claim. Routing to participating firms is based on geography, practice area, language, and firm capacity.
Frequently asked questions
- How many fatal crashes happen on I-10 in Houston each year?
- Federal FARS data counts between 19 and 41 fatal crashes a year on I-10 in Harris County from 2019 to 2024. The City of Houston's dataset, which covers crashes in and near the city, counts between 11 and 25 fatal crashes a year on I-10 from 2018 to 2023.
- What share of serious crashes on I-10 were fatal?
- In the City of Houston data for 2018 to 2023, 97 of I-10's 490 crashes that killed or seriously injured someone were fatal, about 20%. Across all Houston streets in the same data the share was about 17% (1,621 of 9,528).
- Are more of I-10's fatal crashes on the Katy Freeway or the East Freeway?
- The records cannot say for most crashes. Of the 186 fatal crashes FARS counts on I-10 in Harris County from 2019 to 2024, 38 were recorded with "Katy Freeway" in the road name and 38 with "East Freeway"; the other 110 were recorded only as I-10.
- Where can I get the police report for a crash on I-10?
- The report is written by the agency that investigated the crash and filed with TxDOT. Texas crash reports (form CR-3) can be bought online through TxDOT's Crash Records Information System. Our guide to getting a crash report in Houston explains who may obtain one and how Houston-area agencies handle requests.
Sources
- City of Houston, Vision Zero Houston (traffic death and serious injury data, January 2018 to May 2024)
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
- NHTSA, FARS 2024 national data file (CSV; accident table used, filtered to Harris County)
- TxDOT, Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics (Crash Records Information System, CRIS)
- 17 U.S.C. §105 (no copyright in works of the U.S. government)
Ready to talk about your situation?
A free intake is about two minutes. No obligation. You decide if you want to be connected with anyone.
More guides
- Auto Accidents
Who pays medical bills after a car accident in Texas? PIP, MedPay, health insurance and liens
How personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, health insurance, the other driver's liability coverage and Texas hospital liens fit together after a car crash, explained with official sources as of October 2026.
- Auto Accidents
Texas minimum car insurance requirements: 30/60/25 liability, proof of insurance, PIP and UM/UIM
The minimum liability coverage Texas requires (30/60/25), the ways a driver can show proof of financial responsibility, the penalty for driving without it, and the written-rejection rule for PIP and uninsured motorist coverage, with official sources as of October 2026.
- Auto Accidents
The Texas 51% rule, explained: how proportionate responsibility works
What Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code chapter 33 says about shared responsibility for an injury, who is assigned a percentage, how a percentage reduces or bars a recovery, and when a defendant is jointly liable, with percentage-only examples and official sources as of October 2026.
- Auto Accidents
How to read a Texas crash report (CR-3): codes and fields
What the sections and numbered codes on a Texas crash report (CR-3) mean, where TxDOT's official code sheet is, and how a report is corrected.
- Auto Accidents
How long does a car accident claim take in Texas? The stages and the deadlines set by law
The stages of a Texas car accident claim, from insurance claims to a lawsuit, and the specific deadlines that Texas statutes and court rules set at each stage, with official sources as of October 2026. Process only; no estimates of how long any claim takes.
- Auto Accidents
Hit by a car while walking in Houston: Texas pedestrian right-of-way rules and what to gather
What Texas law says about pedestrians and drivers at crosswalks, signals and driveways, how shared responsibility and insurance work after a pedestrian crash, and Houston resources for crash reports and crash data, with official sources as of October 2026.