At least one person has died on Texas roads every day since November 7, 2000. Despite efforts to “End the Streak,” as the Texas Department of Transportation places it, the nation nonetheless leads the state in site visitors’ deaths.
Fatalities did fall approximately 2% between 2016 and 2017. However, more than 3 seven hundred people died in 2017.
A slate of payments aimed toward making a dent in visitor deaths has gotten combined consequences on the Texas Legislature this year.
Statewide Vision Zero Plan
There does seem to be some motion on expanded street safety efforts over at the Texas Transportation Commission.
Last month, the fee heard a presentation from TxDOT’s director of engineering and safety operations that indicated the organization might be shifting closer to an intention of getting no traffic fatalities in Texas by the year 2050. Austin followed a so-referred to as Vision Zero plan in 2016, to end deaths and serious injuries on Austin’s roads by 2025. Other essential towns have adopted similar plans to address the trouble via higher street layout, better enforcement of existing legal guidelines, and education programs.
Washington kingdom changed into the first state to undertake a statewide goal of 0 traffic deaths in 2000. Since then, more than 1/2 of the states have set a zero-loss-of-life intention. But Texas has now not.
“I’ve been operating on Texas transportation policy for 15 years,” stated Jay Blazek Crossley, govt director of Farm & City, a nonprofit spearheading an avenue safety marketing campaign called Vision Zero Texas. “I am bowled over and burdened approximately the development we’re making.”
He stated he’s hopeful the commission will adopt a zero-demise intention at its meeting next month.
Speed Limits
One proposal that has moved along in the procedure in the Legislature could lessen the default speed limit on neighborhood roads in city areas.
“If you look at simply kids who’re walking and biking, more children are harmed or killed on 30-mile-an-hour streets than on any other form of the avenue,” stated Blazek Crossley,
House Bill 1287, filed with the aid of state Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) would decrease the speed limit on roads that otherwise don’t have marked speed limits from 30 miles consistent with hour to twenty-five.
“This is set to save lives. However, it’s also approximately saving cash,” she stated. Right now, if a community wants to decrease the rate limit on their road to below 30 miles in step with hour, the city needs to do a traffic study. Under this measure, the rate limit in neighborhoods in which there are no speed restriction signs might automatically be 25 miles according to hour, without conducting traffic have a traffic at.
The bill, which has bipartisan support, has made it out of committee. It’s nevertheless ready to get on the timetable for debate and a vote in the full House of Representatives.
Statewide Hands-Free Law
Meantime, a regulation that could ban all use of hand-held electronic gadgets while riding has gotten less support within the Legislature.
TxDOT says more than one hundred 000 crashes involved distracted riding in 2017, killing 444 people and severely injuring 2,889 others.
Senate Bill forty-three, filed by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), would crack down on distracted driving by making state law appear greater like Austin’s hand-loose riding ordinance. Right now, kingdom law outlaws the handiest texting, even while driving. You can nonetheless communicate on your cellphone, fiddle with your GPS, browse the internet, or do something else you need to do — as long as you’re not the use of your phone to “read, write, orsor send email.”
Under SB forty-three, all make use of an electronic tool while using might be illegal (until you’re using a hands-free tool). Your automobile might have to be stopped outdoor a travel lane so you can legally use your smartphone with your hands.
But the concept hasn’t even had a committee hearing inside the Senate — the first step to getting passed. A statewide texting ban became exceeded most effective in 2017, so the Legislature’s urge for food for beefing up the law won’t be there quite yet.
Stop For Pedestrians
This thought could make a tweak inside the country law that requires drivers to give pedestrians the right-of-way. Right now, the law absolutely says a motive force ought to “yield” to a pedestrian in a crosswalk while there’s a wWalksign or while there is no traffic mild.
