Texas’ rapidly expanding population has given rise to something else: more deadly car crashes. The number of fatal automobile crashes in Texas has been on the decline since 1980, but that trend may have come to a screeching halt. For the past two years, both injury and fatal car accidents in Texas have risen. The increase in traffic fatalities has been linked to the state’s spectacular growth and economy, the insurance Council of Texas reports. Your rapid population growth and strong economy has placed more people on your highways and that translates into more accidents and more people getting hurt,” said Anne McCartt, senior vice president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).