Longview Texas is the county seat of Gregg County. Locals are potentially already aware of how dangerous the roads in East Texas can be. Gregg County, in particular, often sees particularly severe collisions.
Crashes can potentially occur anywhere, especially when there are lots of vehicles present driving at relatively high speeds. Big vehicles and high levels of commercial traffic only serve to worsen the potential for a life-altering or deadly collision. As such, statistically, there are certain roads that see more than their fair share of severe collisions in East Texas.
U.S. Highway 259
Historically, U.S. Highway 259 has been the deadliest road in Gregg County. That trend continues, at least based on recent research. When looking at data from 2017, 2018 and 2019, U.S. Highway 259 stands out as one of the deadliest roads in the region. Over those three years, there were 13 fatal crashes.
Bloody 31
Bloody 31, also known as Texas Highway 31, is notorious for being the setting of many tragic and ultimately preventable collisions. It may be a straight road, but it has many dangerous hills. The road is home to so many fatal collisions that it often makes lists reporting on the deadliest roads in Texas, not just local roads in East Texas. Law enforcement professionals note that many of the worst crashes on Bloody 31 tend to involve alcohol.
Other dangerous locations
There are several east Texas counties with roads dangerous enough to stand out during a comprehensive collision evaluation. Those counties and their most dangerous roads include:
- Interstate 20 in Smith County
- U.S. Highway 69 in Cherokee County
- U.S. Highway 79 in Rusk County
- Texas Highway 315 in Panola County
- Texas Highway 154 in Wood County
- Farm To Market Road 726 in Upshur County
- Texas Highway 19 in Anderson County
- U.S. Highway 59 in Harrison County
- State Highway 64 in Van Zandt County
Drivers in Gregg County can’t just bypass these busy, well-traveled roads. However, they can make a point to be more aware of their safety when they must drive on U.S. Highway 259, Bloody 31 or other streets with higher-than-average crash risk.
At the end of the day, tracking reports of severe collisions may help people in Longview and elsewhere in Gregg County reduce their likelihood of being involved in a life-altering or deadly crash.