Is It Safe To Drive In Dallas? (Why I Do Not Recommend It)
Planning A Trip To Dallas, Texas And Wondering If It Is Safe To Drive Yourself Around This City?
After living in the Dallas area for 3+ years, I’ve driven all over this North Texas region and seen some of the absolute worst driving I’ve ever seen in my life, so I would say from personal experience that Dallas is not a very safe place to drive plus there are some confusing road conditions, terrible road designs, and lots of reckless drivers out on the road.
⚠️ Why It’s Not Safe To Drive In Dallas, Texas
I’ve lived in lots of other US states, traveled abroad, and even lived in Colombia for awhile, but I haven’t seen such a dangerous combo of driving conditions and drivers as I have here in Dallas, Texas.
Especially for first timers and foreigners, I would suggest avoiding driving in Dallas as much as possible since it’s not a very safe place to drive for a number of reasons:
Confusing Freeways
There are lots of memes that go around on the internet relating to driving in the Dallas area and many of them use Will Ferrell’s line “I’m so * scared right now” with a background of the crisscrossing freeways in Dallas.
Driving can be so hard and dangerous in Dallas because the freeways and tollways are not laid out in a simple and helpful manner (and people do stupid things when they are confused). Exits can be super confusing, even with GPS, which is why drivers dangerously swerve over the suicide lanes to get in the lane they need to.
One day I was driving back to Dallas from East Texas and I had the GPS on while I was on the freeway, but even GPS gets confused by Dallas roads because it took me off the freeway and got me in a long line of cars just to get right back on the same freeway a mile up the road.
Unsafe + Inexperienced Drivers
I’m not sure if it’s because there are so many drivers out on the road, because people seem to be in more of a hurry than ever before, or if it’s the number of international drivers on the road here in Dallas that makes this place the worst city of drivers I’ve ever seen in my life.
When I lived in Florida I saw lots of in a hurry drivers and when I lived in Arizona I saw lots of older slower drivers, but in Dallas I’ve seen so many reckless and inexperienced drivers which I think is why I see so many damaged cars driving around (body shops seem to be too busy to fix the high number of cars needing repair, and this includes nicer, expensive cars too).
You really have to be a defensive, cautious, and aware driver if you plan to drive here in Dallas and you want to have a safe experience. I legitimately saw something illegal, dangerous, and reckless every single time I went out on the road here and 8 out of 10 times driving I would have been hit by someone if I wasn’t paying close attention and driving super defensively.
Terrible Road Designs
The road designs in Dallas are also some of the worst I’ve seen and many of them feel like they had no idea of safety in mind when constructing them.
Not only are the roads themselves in Dallas pretty bad, lots of potholes and uneven intersections which will make you bottom out if you go too fast, but one of the worst designs I’ve ever seen is the double left turn with flashing yellows. It’s nearly impossible to see if cars are coming from the other direction but if you sit there too long, cars behind you will start honking, so it literally feels like an accident waiting to happen.
Narrow Lanes
DNT is one of Dallas’ main toll roads, but it’s honestly like a raceway with very narrow lanes, lots of curves, and drivers that go 20-40 mph over the speed limit (sometimes).
It’s one of my least favorite roads to drive on in Dallas because it also feels like an accident waiting to happen, so I feel more safe avoiding this tollway and going slower on side roads.
Bad Weather
Snow and ice might not be a big deal in northern states because they’re used to it, but every once in awhile Dallas gets some nasty winter weather and most drivers here aren’t prepared or used to driving in these conditions. Black ice has happened here the last couple of years, and it has caused some really bad pile ups.
The scary weather conditions that spring and fall often bring to Dallas also make it not very safe to drive when it starts hailing, when tornadic conditions pop up out of nowhere, or when severe thunderstorms make it hard to even see a few feet in front of you.
👉 Alternatives To Driving In Dallas
If it doesn’t sound that safe to drive yourself while visiting Dallas, there are some other options for getting around, and while some may still put you out on these sketchy roads, they will at least relieve you from the stress of driving yourself:
- if you’re staying in or visiting the Grapevine or Fort Worth areas, there is a vintage train that runs between the two towns
- of course you can always use ride-shares like Uber and Lyft, or even the fancier Alto company
- from the airports, you can arrange private transfers to have someone waiting specifically for you once you get off the plane
- public transportation like busses are available in Dallas but I personally wouldn’t recommend them in most scenarios because they’re not that nice and they would take way too long
- certain parts of the greater Dallas area are also connected by the DART metro system
- tours of the Dallas area are also a convenient way to see multiple locations, and some even take you over to the Fort Worth area
🔁 Sum Up: Is It Safe To Drive In Dallas, Texas?
If you’re on a road trip or just have to drive in the Dallas area for some reason, it’s definitely doable, but if you can avoid it, I would highly suggest staying off the roads here as much as possible because it is not a very safe place to drive. I’ve seen way too many dangerous obstacles driving here in Dallas from horrible drivers to terrible road designs and confusing freeways, so limiting your exposure to this is the best way to stay as safe as possible.
