Highway accidents occur
on different types of highways

Interstate Highways

An interstate highway is a network of US highways (also called freeways or expressways) that connects one or more of the 48 states that border each other. Interstates do not go directly through cities or towns but have a select number of exits for vehicles to leave the freeway and travel onto the city’s streets. State and federal governments jointly maintain interstate highways. They typically have higher speed limits and go through urban and rural areas. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 51.64 traffic crashes on rural interstate freeways and 153.90 on urban interstate freeways (per 100 million vehicle miles).

State Highways

A state highway is a state road or route that a state has assigned a number to and that the state is responsible for maintaining. It can go through rural or urban areas and has more traffic than a road, which by comparison, might not have much traffic. States use their funds directly to maintain their state highways. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 91.12 traffic crashes on rural state highways and 230.49 on urban state highways (per 100 million vehicle miles).

Interstate Highways

An interstate highway is a network of US highways (also called freeways or expressways) that connects one or more of the 48 states that border each other. Interstates do not go directly through cities or towns but have a select number of exits for vehicles to leave the freeway and travel onto the city’s streets. State and federal governments jointly maintain interstate highways. They typically have higher speed limits and go through urban and rural areas. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 51.64 traffic crashes on rural interstate freeways and 153.90 on urban interstate freeways (per 100 million vehicle miles).

A US highway is a major roadway (sometimes a freeway and sometimes not) that connects towns or cities, and some but not all US Highways go between states. Route 66 is a famous US Highway that goes through various states. US highways are typically older roads than interstate freeways. State and federal governments jointly maintain US highways. Many of these highways go directly through towns, and intersecting roads may be numerous. Speed limits are generally higher than on state highways. Most are four lanes, although some US highways have only two lanes. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 70.65 traffic crashes on rural U.S. highways and 194.62 on urban U.S. highways (per 100 million vehicle miles).

State Highways

A state highway is a state road or route that a state has assigned a number to and that the state is responsible for maintaining. It can go through rural or urban areas and has more traffic than a road, which by comparison, might not have much traffic. States use their funds directly to maintain their state highways. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 91.12 traffic crashes on rural state highways and 230.49 on urban state highways (per 100 million vehicle miles).

A farm-to-market road/highway is a state or county roadway that connects agricultural or rural areas to market towns. These roads are often of higher quality than other roads and are usually highways that farmers and ranchers use to transport goods. In 2024, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) reported there were 123.08 traffic crashes on rural farm-to-market roads and 248.97 crashes on urban farm-to-market highways (per 100 million vehicle miles).