The Texas Medical Association made it known that their members unanimously support efforts from Texas legislators to pass a statewide ban on distracted driving. The TMA members told members of the media that they recognize distracted driving as a serious threat to public health and safety and therefore support any efforts by legislators to limit the ability of some drivers to engage in this activity.

So far Texas has remained one of just 16 states without a comprehensive statewide ban on distracted driving. State legislators there have repeatedly said the decision of whether or not to allow drivers to use handheld devices was best left to local municipalities. Cities such as Dallas and San Antonio already have such bans in place, but this is not enough for public safety groups in the state who say a patchwork of bans across the state do not go far enough to promote safe driving behavior.

Already legislation is wending its way through the Texas Statehouse which would severely curtail the use of handheld devices by drivers. It is expected this legislation, or some form of it, will pass both houses and go to the governor’s desk later next year. Governor Rick Perry, who has said in the past he did not support a statewide ban, has no indicated that he would indeed sign into law any such legislation which comes across his desk.

This recent announcement from the TMA only further strengthens the position of those in favor a statewide ban in Texas.

According to police, Chandler Small, was driving alone on Highway 30 in Grimes County around 3a.m. Wednesday morning. She was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.

Police say she was speeding and texting at the time, both of which contributed to her deadly crash.

Currently a move is afoot in the Texas state legislature to enact a statewide ban on texting while driving. It seems likely this latest crash will add further fuel to the fire of public outrage that the state does not already have such a ban.

Up to this point Texas state law makers have repeatedly said they oppose a statewide ban on texting and driving in favor of allow individual municipalities to sort out what measures are right for their community. Recently, however, a vocal minority of voters have gathered support from others in the state to force legislators to re-examine their roles as leaders and stewards of the state. This group claims that without a statewide ban all drivers on state roads are at risk. Given that Texas has now become the first state with a 85mph speed limit, they say, it is now more important than ever to address the issue of improved highway safety.

So far a few bills are being considered in the Texas legislature, all of which would impact the ability of drivers to use handheld devices in one way or another. It seems likely that at least one of those bills will eventually pass muster and make it to the governor’s desk where it likely will be signed into law.

How many more people in Texas will be killed as a result of texting and driving while lawmakers dicker over the details of the law is unknown. But each one carries with it the further likelihood that eventually that type of behavior will no longer be tolerated in Texas.

So far no injuries have been reported as a result of these animal collisions but the Texas Department of Transportation is warning drivers to use caution. The sheer number of these feral hogs, at last count more than 1.5 million in Texas alone, and their nature as foragers, mean more hog/vehicle collisions are likely.

Before the high speed stretch of Texas State Highway 130 opened many safety advocates worried that the new speed would mean increased dangers for the drivers. They were concerned with drivers losing control of their vehicles or colliding with a slower vehicle in traffic ahead of them. So far, those things have not been a problem. The feral hog population, on the other hand, is and officials say if something cannot be done to keep the animals off the roadway a more serious vehicle collisions, likely with injury or death, is only a matter of time.

State highway officials are now considering a plan to install animal bumper guards along both sides the new toll road which will prevent the animals from simply walking onto the highway. Because of their massive size and sheer brute strength these animals are difficult to catch and control, but officials say the bumper guard would at least be a deterrent to maybe get the animals to seek an easier route rather than across the highway.

For drivers who are traveling at 85 mph there simply is not much they can do. By the time they see the animal their vehicle will be almost on top of it, giving them very little time to react and avoid a collision.

It’s a challenge, to say the least.

Because these machines are so important for keeping the roads clear, and because they are so heavy and dangerous, some states have begun utilizing technology to keep these drivers and their machines and everyone who relies on their service, safe. Driving simulators are nothing new but these states are using machines that simulate the function and feel of a snow plow.

There are already simulators for fire engines and other emergency response vehicles. These vehicles are heavier than a car or truck and therefore require a delicate touch behind the wheel. Take a turn too tight and the weight of a fully loaded fire truck can tip you or throw your vehicle out of control. Like a fire truck, a snow plow is also a delicate machine to operate. Not just for keeping the vehicle on the road but for protecting other vehicles who might be sharing the road with you and for protecting the road, bridges and other systems you are trying to clear from the snow.

Snow plow drivers in Dallas this week had their first trial in the new snow plow simulator, as did snow plow drivers in a handful of states who sit uncomfortably in areas which may or may not get snow each winter. These simulators are credited with keeping the snow plow drivers safe, the equipment safe and everyone who shares the road with them, safe as well.

This seems odd, especially considering recent reports which show that distracted driving is now responsible for more traffic fatalities than driving under the influence of alcohol. It also seems to fly in the face of their previous arguments against a statewide ban on distracted driving that these matters are best left to be decided by municipalities; statewide laws go too far.

The legislators are also considering allowing police to conduct more “No Refusal Weekends” which means that drivers requested by police to submit to a sobriety test must submit or face suspension of their driving privileges. These tools have proven very effective for police in the past but they are limited to how often they can conduct them. The Texas legislators are now seriously considering allow them to conduct them at will or as needed in an effort to force more drivers to sober up before getting behind the wheel.

Texas has seen a slight decline in the number of drunk drivers in recent years but it still sees far more drunk drivers than any other state. Texas has wrestled with a populace which has seen so much drunk driving they seem inured to it; unwilling or incapable of changing the majority. The recent legislative push was brought about by public outcry from those who do see the issue as a statewide problem. In fact, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been very vocal in their support of a more vigorous approach to enforcement of existing laws and enabling police to better do their jobs when it comes to getting drunk drivers off the street.

Weather conditions at the time were also a factor with drivers reporting fog thick as “pea soup” and the speed limit on that stretch of highway was 70-mph with just about everyone driving at the maximum allowed by law. The combination of poor visibility and speed were definitely contributing factors and police were take all these things into consideration as they work toward identifying a single cause (if they can find one, and if there was one.)

A lot of attention has been paid to the dangers of distracted driving, and everyone understands the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol (or at least they should) but in nearly every single fatal crash in the nation, year after year, speed is also involved. Drivers are usually traveling at speeds which are unsafe for the driving conditions, whether it is dark (at night), there are foggy roads or there is precipitation or icy/snowy roads.

Defensive driving is all about being cautious before you need to be. It’s easy to slow down when you see an accident in front of you, but it takes careful, safe pre-emptive actions to avoid being involved in an accident in the first place. It starts by watching your speed and driving in accordance with the conditions around you. If you don’t if you ignore safe driving practices in favor of getting where you are going just a few minutes earlier (which you will likely spend getting gas any way) you run the risk of being involved in a serious, perhaps fatal crash.

The choice is yours.

That’s the lesson learned by a Texas driver who struck a recliner on Interstate 45 in Texas City on Sunday. The driver has not been identified but police say he was northbound in a Mercedes-Benz when he collided with the recliner. Police say the man did not stop, nor did he notify authorities there was something in the road. He continued on his way until other drivers began urging him to pull over because the side of his vehicle was on fire.

That’s when the man stopped, saw the fire and called police.

Texas police are investigating the entire incident as an “accident” but have not yet said where the recliner came from or who the driver of the Mercedes was.

The lesson to be learned is quite simple: If you collide with something on the road do yourself a favor and stop to check that your vehicle is ok. It might seem like a minor collision, and indeed might have been a minor collision, but it is difficult to determine if your vehicle has been damaged unless you stop to check. If you are on a busy roadway, pull over safely away from other vehicles before you check. If there is an obstacle in the roadway be certain you contact police and advise them about what the obstacle is and where it is located so it can be moved and further collisions can be avoided.

Just pretending the collision never happened and going on about your business leaves you at risk for suffering further damage down the road. It also does nothing to alleviate the dangers for others drivers who have not yet happened upon the impediment.

Now it appears Texas state legislators are taking another look at a statewide ban on distracted driving. Their efforts were likely spurred by numerous driver complaints and petitions signed by residents throughout the state.

There is a wealth of evidence from both the Centers for Disease Control and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the risk of having a vehicle collision is greatly increased when a driver is distracted. Both these groups also found a direct connection between most distracted driving crashes and the drivers use a handheld device. This evidence was enough to prompt most states to immediately amend state law to forbid drivers from engaging in overtly dangerous behaviors such as texting while driving, or surfing the web or updating their social media networks. Other states have gone as far as forbidding drivers from talking on their cell phones while driving without a hands-free device (such as Bluetooth) while still others have forbidden the use of a cell phone for any reason while driving.

There has been some debate about whether or not distracted driving is now actually more dangerous than drunk driving, but nobody argues that it is dangerous and that the number of vehicle collisions linked to distracted driving have increased tremendously in the last few years.

It will take months for Texas legislators to work out the details of what sort of state law they propose and then the issue will need to be approved by both houses and go before the governor before it is enacted. Until then Texas drivers will need to take their chances and be aware of the local laws in the areas where they are driving so they don’t run afoul of a municipal law meant to fill the gap where state law lacks.

Frank Laudo was driving a black SUV on a private road which runs alongside a small private airport just outside Dallas,Texas, as the pilot of a small Cessna aircraft was approaching the airport to make a landing. The private road has the word “STOP” painted clearly on its surface and drivers are supposed to stop and watch for small planes before continuing, however Laudo said he did not see the airplane, and he failed to stop. Seconds after crossing the “STOP” sign, Laudo’s vehicle was struck by the Cessna. His vehicle was heavily damaged as was the Cessna. Laudo suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital. A passenger in Laudo’s vehicle, Heather Laudo, was not injured, and the pilot of the Cessna was able to make a safe landing on the belly of the plane after losing his landing gear in the crash.

The owner of the airport property does not own any of the property surrounding the airport including the private road. He told local reporters he has tried unsuccessfully to buy the private road so he could better enforce traffic rules requiring vehicles to stop. According to him, Laudo was not the first driver to ignore (or fail to notice) the “STOP” painted clearly on the roadway.

Defensive drivers everywhere know the importance of observing and following all street signs-whether they are on poles, walls, bridges, or the pavement right in front of them. It only takes one small mistake to create conditions perfect for an accident. In this case nobody was hurt, but if the vehicle had been traveling just a bit faster, or the plane had been just a few inches lower, someone might have been.

This is hardly the first airplane vs car vehicle accident, and likely it won’t be the last. So stay alert, be aware because airplanes are everywhere!

Now that the road has been open for one full week, traffic safety experts are already compiling the numbers and so far, they are questionable. For instance, in less than one week the road has already seen its first roll-over crash, but the Texas Highway Patrol said that crash does not seem to have been caused by the speed of the driver. More shocking are the collisions involving vehicles and animals crossing the road. Although no one has been injured as a result of those crashes, Texas Highway Patrol has seen vehicles collide with two feral hogs and a deer in just one week since the highway opened.

Texas State Highway 130, which has the 41-mile stretch of toll road with a posted 85 mph speed limit is mean to offer drivers an alternative to Interstate 35 which is a heavily congested stretch of Texas roadway. Some drivers have reported they prefer paying for the privilege of driving at a faster clip on a less congested roadway, but whether or not the road actually results in an improvement in traffic conditions in the area only time will tell.

For now Texas will retain its title as the “Fastest State In The Union.” Utah has a posted speed limit of 80 mph, but no signs that state legislators there will approve any increase in that top speed.

For now, Texas drivers who use the new toll road need to remember they are not only having to contend with traveling at a faster rate, but also with any obstacles which might wander into the road ahead. In Texas that means feral hogs, deer and possibly any number of opossum’s, armadillos or raccoons.

On Wednesday some Texas drivers will get an opportunity to text the limits of their high-speed driving skills when the nation’s first roadway with an 85 mph limit will officially open for business.

That’s right, 85 mph.

Drivers on a 40-mile stretch of the Texas 130 toll road bypassing Austin’s east side will open with an 85-mph speed limit this week. Many eyes will be turned toward Texas over the next few weeks as traffic safety experts look to see how well drivers handle the new limit. If it works as well as the Texas Department of Transportation hopes it will when it comes to alleviating traffic congestion in the area it seems likely speed limits in other areas, on other roads, will also be raised.

The idea of setting a toll road speed limit higher than the national average (some roads in Montana have a limit of 80 mph) was heavily debated. The idea was to offer drivers a direct by-pass route with a higher speed limit and help offset the cost of this roadway by making it a toll road. Initially hopes were high that the new road would be an instant money-maker for the state, but opinions since then have been decidedly mixed. Truckers, for one, have said they would have little interest in paying to use the new road because the time they would save would hardly offset the costs they would incur as a result.

Traffic safety experts, too, have questioned whether allowing drivers to travel at such high rates of speed is a good idea. Although much has been said about the dangers of distracted driving and drinking and driving, just about every fatal vehicle collision on record had the drivers speed as a contributing factor.

If speed kills, and we know that it does, then it seems the new Texas toll road is starting out with one strike against it.

Ready for what? That’s the $64,000 question. Certainly it is no secret that as we age our physical abilities may decline. But physicians and driving safety experts say that doesn’t mean older drivers are unsafe drivers. And they are also not in agreement on what steps can be taken to make driving easier for them.

There has been a great deal of discussion already about who is responsible for making the decisions about when a driver might be “too old” to safely operate a motor vehicle. Some say physicians should make that call as they know their patients best and can make an educated decisions about whether or not that person safely operate a motor vehicle. Others think the decisions is best left to family members who can and should make that ultimate decision.

Adding to this discussion is a recent report by the which indicates that fatal crashes per mile driven “increase noticeably starting at age 70-74.”

The state of Texas already has a different set of requirements for older drivers than for younger drivers: after age 85 senior drivers have to get their licenses renewed every two years instead of every six, and everyone who is 79 or older has to do it in person instead of by mail or online. This can help the state make a more informed decision about the abilities of each specific driver.

It is possible the continued surge in senior drivers might make state legislators take another look at driving requirements for seniors. It also means they will need to look at roads, bridges and other pieces of the transportation infrastructure to see what other accommodations can be made.

In fact, a new study by TRIP, a national transportation research group, Texas drivers pay more than $20 billion every year to keep driving in the state. This money is not straight out of pocket for tolls, fines, or fees. It comes in the form of wasted fuel due to traffic congestion and delays, and lost wages and productivity from being late to wherever they are going (like work.)

Statewide nearly half of all Texas roads were found to be deficient in some way according to the TRIP report. It was more pronounced in major urban metropolitan areas than rural small towns with cities like Houston and San Antonio seeing the ‘cost’ for driving skyrocket to more than a thousand dollars a year.

State legislators have been trying to rectify this problem by funding major transportation initiatives in the state, but driving safety advocates say these modernization attempts are only going to satisfy the drivers using state roads today, not the thousands, possibly millions, of new drivers who will hit the roads in the coming years.

It is an ongoing problem, maintaining roads and bridges for common use and states have struggled to keep up with the issue for decades. In Texas the problem is clearly costing taxpayers–drivers, at least–big bucks.The problems are obvious but the solutions are more nebulous.

For anyone driving in the state of Texas the best idea is always to plan your route ahead. If your usual route proves to be congested or full of delays, consider finding an alternate route or some alternate form of transportation. Remember, defensive drivers know that patience is a virtue they need to have in good supply. Getting frustrated behind the wheel is only going to cost you more money farther down the road.

The TxDOT is now releasing a new video aimed directly at Hispanic drivers, in an effort to explain the dangers and potential repercussions of driving drunk.

The Spanish-language video features DWI testimonials from Hispanic drivers convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol in Texas. The educational video is designed to resonate with recently immigrated and first-generation Hispanics in particular; research suggests they may be less likely to know about DWI laws because they may come from countries where DWI laws are different or are not enforced consistently. TxDOT is sharing the video with organizations such as AVANCE and foreign consulates as well as Spanish-language driver’s education and alcohol awareness courses.

“TxDOT’s goal is to increase awareness among the Hispanic community about the dangers of drinking and driving. We want to make sure that more people know that driving under the influence of alcohol is never acceptable,” said Carol Rawson, director, Traffic Operations Division of TxDOT.

There is good reason for the specific focus on Hispanic drivers in the state. According to recent statistics Hispanic drivers represent a greater risk when it comes to drunk driving, and as an increasing percentage of the state population, TxDOT is targeting what it sees as a high risk demographic.

This has more to do with the trepidation of voters than it does with the facts. The fact is traffic circles alleviate traffic congestion and produce safer intersections for everyone. Because of their nature, traffic does not stop at a round-a-bout, but rather proceeds forward cautiously, so cars never need to stop.

The lack of round-a-bouts in the United States might change dramatically if the city of Houston finds a way to make one around their city. Not only would it be the first round-a-bout in Houston, it would the first to link major interstate highways.

The idea, if eventually approved, would line interstates 10 or 45, or U.S. 59, around the downtown area. Drivers would never leave their respective interstate, but instead travel around the circle to exit in their desired direction. The idea is meant to alleviate traffic congestion and decrease the time required to reach downtown Houston, or by-pass it completely.

The Texas Department of Transportation stresses the preliminary nature of the idea, saying that studies may prove it’s not even feasible. But it is one of the “innovative” solutions the agency is floating as transportation leaders realize using the state’s limited funds to build more and more roads isn’t the best or only way to solve congestion in Texas’ major cities.

“That is currently on the table with a universe of options,” Raquelle Lewis, transportation department spokeswoman in Houston, said of the Texas-sized roundabout.

The four years prior to Laredo being named “safest driving city in Texas” Brownsville was top-ranked in the state, so it’s a coming home of sorts for the city which has strengthened distracted driving laws and has a reputation for zero tolerance of drunk drivers.

Brownsville ranked 25th nationwide, coming in ahead of last year’s top city in Texas, Laredo, which maintained its position at 28. Prior to 2011, Brownsville held the top spot for four straight years.

According to the report, the average driver in Brownsville will experience an auto collision every 11.4 years, compared to a national average of 10.0 years. Other Texas cities beating the national average include Laredo, McAllen, Amarillo and Lubbock….For the past eight years, Allstate actuaries have conducted an in-depth analysis of company claims data to determine the likelihood drivers in America’s 200 largest cities will experience a vehicle collision compared to the national average. Internal property damage reported claims were analyzed over a two-year period (from January 2009 to December 2010) to ensure the findings would not be impacted by external influences such as weather or road construction.

The report is certainly good news for Brownsville, Texas, residents, who can brag about their safety to their neighbors in the next town over. But what it really seems to indicate is that safety needs to improve statewide. Texas boasts some of the most populous cities in the nation (Dallas, Houston, Ft Worth) yet not one made it into the top 20, much less the top 5. Armed with this latest report we would hope to see further vigilance and public education information concerning the importance of safe driving for residents all across Texas.