Caution signs

Houston steers onto list of Texas’ most dangerous cities for drivers

Houston traffic Galleria area traffic jam

Gotta be careful out there.

Local.AllState.com

When it comes to traffic safety, you might call the Greater Houston area a two-way street.

An analysis of 2018 data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Texas Department of Transportation published by Austin-based Aceable, a provider of online driving courses, puts Houston at No. 14 among the 20 most dangerous cities for drivers, while The Woodlands comes in tied for the safest.

Aceable ranked the 40 largest Texas cities based on the number of fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents. Austin recorded 6.84 fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents, putting it in the danger zone. Meanwhile, Round Rock clocked in with 3.11 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents, making it one of the safest spots.

“From distracted driving to drunk and drugged driving to drowsy driving to outdated laws and infrastructure, there are many factors that play a role in road safety — and the reality is most accidents are actually largely preventable,” Laura Adams, driving safety and education analyst at Aceable, says in a February 19 release. “We hope this report encourages drivers, local leaders, and legislators across the state to take action to make the roads safer.”

The most dangerous city for Texas drivers is Dallas, with 14.42 fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents. Other Texas cities on the most-dangerous list include San Antonio, No. 11, with 8.81 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents. Austin at No. 18 among the 20 most dangerous cities for drivers, while Abilene tied with Houston for No. 14, with 8.13 fatal accidents per 100,000 residents.

Along with The Woodlands, the two safest big city in Texas is Allen: both recorded zero fatal traffic accidents. Waco ranks the 15th safest (5.79 fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 residents), followed by Killeen, 16th, with 6.04 fatalities per 100,000 residents.

rankings traffic lists transportation

Helping hand

ExxonMobil donates $3 million to Houston nonprofit that feeds hungry kids

Courtesy of Kids’ Meals

The 50,000-square-foot building will triple the size of Kids' Meals' headquarters.

At its annual Harvest Luncheon last week, Kids’ Meals, a a nonprofit combatting childhood food insecurity and hunger, received a huge boost: a $3 million gift from ExxonMobil. The gift makes a milestone for the organization.

“We are incredibly grateful to ExxonMobil for the generous $3 million donation, which is the largest corporate donation Kids’ Meals has ever received, both in size and in impact,” CEO Beth Harp said in a statement.

The nonprofit will use the gift toward its new campus, a 50,000-square-foot facility in Spring Branch. Kids’ Meals broke ground on the project in June.

The new building will nearly triple the size of its current headquarters, further helping Kids’ Meals achieve its goal of serving 26,000 children each weekday by 2031. The organization currently serves over 9,000 children every weekday through its 18,500-square-foot headquarters in Garden Oaks. The new building will carry Exxon-Mobil’s name.

“In establishing the Kids’ Meals ExxonMobil Campus, we will be able to expand our programs, reach more children in need, and make a lasting impact on the lives of countless families in the Houston area,” said Harp. “Together, we’re feeding the future and providing hope.”

Founded in 2006, Kids’ Meals serves children ages five and under, and is the only organization in the country that delivers free, healthy meals to the doorsteps of Houston’s hungriest children. Since its inception, the organization has delivered more than 14 million meals to children in 56 Houston-area zip codes. After delivering a record-breaking 2.4 million meals in 2023, the nonprofit is on track to deliver 2.7 million meals in 2024.

The Harvest Luncheon is the nonprofit’s biggest event of the year. The event raises funds to provide more than 500,000 meals for preschool-aged children. Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s daughters, Sarah and Whitney, chaired the event. Best-selling author Bob Goff served as keynote speaker.

Courtesy of Kids’ Meals

The 50,000-square-foot building will triple the size of Kids' Meals' headquarters.

nonprofits charity kids meals exxonmobil