treacherous trek

Popular road-trip route from Dallas declared 2nd most dangerous U.S. highway

The stretch of this highway from Dallas to Galveston is especially dangerous.

Photo by Getty Images

Travelers on Interstate 45 from Dallas to Galveston face one of the deadliest drives in the nation, a new study reveals.

For its survey, fleet tracking company Teletrac Navman examined data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 2016 through 2019. The report revealed staggering numbers for fatalities and incidents, as CultureMap news partner ABC13 notes:

During that time period, the company said that stretch of I-45 experienced .913 death(s) per mile
The most dangerous month to be on the interstate was October
The most dangerous day of the month was the 2nd
Saturday was listed as the most dangerous day of the week
The most dangerous hour of the day was between 2 am and 3 am

Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Teletrac report found that those who trek on I-30 from Aledo through Dallas on the way to North Little Rock, Arkansas saw .646 death(s) per mile, with the most dangerous time to drive 5 am to 5:59 pm. Interestingly, the Aledo-to-North Little Rock finding is new for the current list.

The report also revealed that drivers traveling on I-35 West from Hillsboro through Fort Worth on the way to Denton saw .528 deaths per mile, with 2 am to 2:59 am being the most dangerous time to drive.

Further down the list, the study reveals hazards from Dallas drivers on Highway 175 en route to Jacksonville, Texas. That stretch saw .447 deaths per mile and the most dangerous travel time from midnight to 12:59 am.

Teletrac Navman’s report also notes several Texas highways that have fallen off the list, meaning safer passage. Those paths include I-37, Highway 290, and Highway 59.

This isn’t the first time I-45 has made national headlines for its imminent danger to drives. In 2020, Popular Mechanics called the highway the most dangerous in America.

Speaking of the most dangerous highway, this year’s most treacherous roadway is I-4 in Florida, per the Teletrac Navman.

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Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

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The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

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