This summer Texas Department of Transportation has a number of new construction projects around the state. These construction zones are causing delays for drivers (as is often the case) and frustration levels are high. TDOT is aware of this and encouraging drivers to find an alternate route or resign themselves to slowing down and taking it easy as they really don’t have any other choice.

In Texas, as in many states, fines for drivers who ignore construction zone warnings to slow down face severe penalties. In many cases fines for speeding are doubled or even tripled and drivers might have their license suspended as a result of causing a crash in a construction zone. So, if you are driving in Texas this summer be aware that construction abounds and getting ready to slow down-or just find yourself another way of getting where you need to go.

“Traffic gets choked down to one or two lanes where it might be three lanes. People stack up in there and people still have the tendency to be in the same hurry where they need to be and they’ll forget to give enough room, and one of the most common accidents that I see out there, from someone following too closely,” said Sgt. Brent Barbee, Amarillo Police Department.

Sgt. Barbee says drivers gawking at an accident will sometimes cause another one, or a traffic jam that slows first responders who need to get through.

“When the officers are trying to get to the scene the traffic is stacked up for them, and very often several blocks beyond the accident. And they can’t drive there any faster than anyone else if someone is in their way”.

Texas is just one of the states with a graduated driving license program for teenagers. New Jersey and New York also use graduated driving license programs to help get teen drivers ready to hit the road. These states have all seen an improvement in the rate of collisions caused by teen drivers.

The fact is teenage drivers do cause more accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for teens and young adults. Any attempt to control this deadly statistic and bring those numbers down seems like a very good idea indeed.

To be published in the September 2012 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, the study concludes that state GDL laws and “use-and-lose” laws concerning alcohol are improving teens’ chances for survival in such states.Here’s a harsh fact that precipitated the study: Teens are just 5 per cent of all the drivers on the road, but teens are involved in 20 per cent of all traffic accidents, many of which involve alcohol and many of which are fatal.

The purpose of GDL laws is to put new, young drivers on a slow and steady track to full driving privileges. It lays out a route to gaining experience and skill at the wheel in stages while a novice driver operates a vehicle with certain restrictions.

For instance, Texas’ GDL law includes provisions for new drivers to drive for at least six months with a learner license before gaining a provisional license. And even then, they must not operate a wireless communications device such as a cell phone except in emergencies, and they must not drive with more than one other person in the vehicle who’s under 21 and not a member of the family.

A new petition has been circulating around the state calling on legislators to pass a comprehensive ban on texting and driving. So far the petition, which started on Facebook, has garnered hundreds of new signatures and is getting some national attention as well.

Legislators have remained silent on the issue up until now, but as public support of the measure grows it seems likely they will at least be forced to account for their actions thus far, even as evidence suggests that a ban on texting and driving would result in reduced traffic collisions and reduced traffic-related fatalities.

According to Texas State Trooper Gabriel Medrano, wrecks resulting from cell phone use are increasing in the Texas Panhandle.

“A lot of times, our parents are actually modeling this behavior for our teenaged drivers,” he pointed out. “So, parents out there, I would suggest, you know, to think about what you’re doing out there on the roads. You have your kids in the back seat and they’re watching you.”

He added education is a key in saving lives, and putting texting and driving into driver education classes could help spread the word about how dangerous the habit can be.

Hodge-Campbell said she hopes commissioners will take the petition seriously and follow the lead of other cities across the country that have banned texting and driving.

The driver of the vehicle which lost the ladder was ultimately cited for failing to secure his load properly, but while police and emergency vehicles were clearing the wreck he caused a few other drivers found a way to make the situation worse. Some drivers failed to slow down at the accident scene, lost control of their vehicles and caused more collisions.

The fact is, every one of these vehicle accidents could have been easily avoided if drivers had taken a moment to think before continuing to do what they had been doing (speeding, not paying attention, failing to yield.) The same is true of almost every vehicle collision. These can almost all be avoided by the driver taking responsibility for his/her own actions and doing the safe thing, the smart thing.

The Texas Department of Transportation is using the chain reaction collisions to launch a public safety campaign aimed at educating drivers about how to react at the scene of a collision. They hope that publicity about the chain reaction collisions and the resulting damage and injury will go a long way toward to making all Texas roads safer for everyone.

Two people were hospitalized and several drivers were cited Monday afternoon after a series of accidents in the southbound lanes of Texas 6 that started with a ladder flying out of the back of a truck near the Southwest Parkway exit.

College Station police said Elaine Gunn, 53, of College Station swerved to avoid hitting the ladder and lost control, causing her vehicle to roll twice about 4:39 p.m.

She was taken to College Station Medical Center with what officials described as non-life-threatening injuries.

Before emergency crews had cleared the accident, police said, the driver of a pickup that was traveling too fast tried to avoid traffic that was slowing in front of him and drove off the north side of the bridge over Harvey Road. No one in the truck was injured. The driver of the truck, Brian Noriega, 27, of Calvert was cited for failing to control speed.

Construction zones are a major transportation hassle and a hazard for both drivers in the area and the folks working on the construction site. Traffic fines in the construction are usually doubled or even tripled. Drivers who flaunt these recommended safe speeds on construction zones risk high fines and the possibility of seriously injuring themselves or someone who is just doing their job.

Drivers will still have access to Transmountain, as one lane in each direction will be open. But drivers trying to go from north to west and from south to east must take detours to the following exit of U.S. 54 due to construction.”We’re going to be building three bridges,” said Blanca Del Valle, the spokeswoman for TX-DOT. “That includes removing what’s there, placing new concrete and putting (up) the columns. It’s just a lot of work. And in the long run, it’s safer to have it closed, and we’ll probably get done quicker.”That phase of the construction is scheduled for completion in October.

The nationwide crackdown is called Roadcheck 2012, a three-day nationwide enforcement aimed at commercial vehicles with serious safety violations. The move was likely prompted by a series of commercial bus crashes this past year involving charter bus companies across the nation. Several people were killed and an investigation discovered that each of these companies had serious safety violations on record but continued to operate their vehicle.

Texas Department of Public Safety is trying to keep their roads safe by enforcing existing vehicle safety laws in an effort to prevent similar deadly collisions in their state. Defensive driving simply is not enough, especially if your vehicle is rolling with a number of serious safety problems.

“Roadcheck 2012 and efforts like DPS’ Operation Texas Thunder underscore our commitment to ensuring commercial vehicles and their drivers are complying with our laws and regulations so that we can make our roads safer for all drivers,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “It is also important to remember that most 18-wheeler and bus wrecks are actually caused by passenger vehicles, so Texas drivers can do their part to keep our roads safe by using extra caution when driving near commercial vehicles.”

During Roadcheck 2012, specially trained troopers and civilian personnel will inspect commercial vehicles for equipment violations involving brakes, tires, lights and loading standards. Troopers will check driver licenses and log books, which document how long the driver has been on the road. In conjunction with these efforts, DPS will also be on the lookout for aggressive passenger vehicle drivers, the main cause of commercial vehicle crashes.

Unfortunately, these are people who will not get to enjoy a three day weekend, but instead will be out there protecting the public from dangerous driving. Texas State Troopers will be on patrol enforcing seat belt use as part of the nationwide Click It or Ticket campaign, and also watching for drunk drivers, distracted drivers who are acting reckless; speeders and any other form of dangerous driving.

If you are a good defensive driver you probably don’t have anything to worry about. But if you are prone to speeding because you are perpetually late to everything, likely to change lanes without signally, or just plain careless behind the wheel, Texas State Troopers will be watching for you. And since they are missing their holiday weekend to work you can bet they won’t be in a very good mood either.

DPS will have extra troopers on the road from Friday, May 25, through Monday, May 28, looking for drunk-drivers, speeders, people without seatbelts and other traffic violators across the state.

“Memorial Day is an important day of remembrance for all who have paid the supreme sacrifice in our nation’s service,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We encourage Texans to honor those fallen heroes this holiday weekend in a safe and responsible way. Residents and visitors should drive responsibly, and should know that our troopers will arrest those who are drinking and driving and will issue tickets to those disregarding our traffic laws.”

Last year during the Memorial Day weekend, DPS troopers arrested 518 drunk drivers and issued more than 6,000 speeding citations, more than 1,500 seatbelt and child-safety restraint tickets, and cited 842 drivers for driving without insurance. Additionally, troopers arrested 280 wanted fugitives and 215 suspects with felony warrants. The increased traffic enforcement also resulted in 20 drug cases and 11 stolen vehicles recovered.

Many states will be conducting ‘Click It Or Ticket’ enforcement patrols this weekend, one of the busiest driving times of the year, but Texas decided to start their enforcement early in order to increase driver awareness.

Just last week a new study found that although seat belt in general was on the rise in Texas, drivers behind the wheel of pick-up trucks were not included and were much less likely to buckle up behind the wheel.

Texas police are now aiming to change all that, using the partially federally funded Click It Or Ticket program to get the message out to drivers who think they invulnerable or just too lucky to get killed or seriously hurt behind the wheel of their pick-’em-up truck.

The latest “Click It or Ticket” campaign runs from May 21 through June 3 over the Memorial Day holiday and the first week of summer vacation. Officers, deputies and troopers will be working overtime.

State law has required drivers to buckle up for 11 years. In 2009 lawmakers said all passengers needed to strap-in as well. Children also need to be in a car seat or booster seat.

Traffic accidents are still a big problem in the state. It’s one of the leading causes of deaths in Texas. The state ranks seventh in the nation when it comes to wearing a seat belt.

“Last year nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in fatal car crashes here in Texas, and nearly half of those were not wearing their seat belt,” said Mark Cross of the Texas Department of Transportation.

In fact, despite a recent report showing that overall seat belt usage was up, seat belt usage by those who drove pick-up trucks was still only 80%. And nearly half of all fatal pick-up truck crashes would have been prevented if the driver or passenger had buckled-up.

This has led the Texas Department of Transportation to redouble their efforts at enforcing the existing seat belt law targeting drivers they feel are most at risk. The next ‘Click It or Ticket’ seat belt enforcement campaign is going on now and will continue through June 3.

Police will be conducting special seat belt enforcement patrols focus on all drivers but especially those traveling in pick-up trucks.

In 2011, only 80.3 percent of pickup truck passengers used seat belts, according to TxDOT statistics, compared with 92.4 percent of passengers in other vehicles.

In 2010 one out of every two pickup truck drivers killed in a traffic crash was not wearing a seat belt. TxDOT says about one out of every four vehicles registered in Texas is a pickup truck.

Richy Waggoner, APD traffic commander, said passengers as well as drivers can receive fines. If found unbuckled, he said, a citation can run anywhere from $25 to $250, plus court costs.

The driver of the school bus told police he could see the driver of the oncoming car crest a hill and try to stop when he saw the bus, but his vehicle skidded sideways as he lost control, striking the front bumper of the bus.

The driver of the car which struck the bus was also hospitalized. Police say none of the injuries appear life threatening.

A debate has raged for years about the merits of requiring seat belts on all school buses. Some argue in favor of seat belts on buses, while others say the children are just as safe without them, given the security of the large vehicle they are riding in. However, every time a vehicle collides with a bus and a student is injured it is another sign that perhaps the time has come to take another look at school bus safety.

Roger Wade with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office says the Manor ISD driver in Bus No. 58 stopped outside a driveway on Littig Road near Jones Road to pick up two students. As the students boarded the bus, Wade says the driver saw a car speeding over a hill toward the bus.

Wade says the driver of the car tried to stop but started to skid in the road. He lost control and crashed head-on into the front bumper of the bus.

Sgt. Ryan Phipps with the Manor Police Department was one of the first responders to arrive. He says one of the two students who was boarding the bus at the time had already found a seat when the car hit. The other student was still walking inside and was between the door and the driver. Phipps says the bus driver, who has not been identified, saw the car come over the hill and grabbed the student to protect them from the impact.

This is all well and good for law makers, but Texans themselves have started taking the matter into their own hands, speaking out about the dangers of distracted driving and helping to educate all drivers about driving safely.

The first ever Texas Distracted Driving Summit was held in San Antonio and more than 2,000 people attended, included those injured in distracted driving related crashes and families of those killed in distracted driving related crashes.

Texas state lawmakers have said the matter is best left to municipalities and should not be a state wide issue. As a result, the city of Houston has some of the strictest regulations regarding the use of handheld devices by drivers. So does San Antonio.

Fortunately, those in favor of a state wide ban on distracted driving are finding their voice and speaking out against what they see as a serious threat to public safety–regardless of what their state legislators believe.

Houston personal injury lawyer Ben Bronston has seen many distracted driving cases and adamantly fights for those who have been in an accident due to distracted driving. “Governor Rick Perry vetoed House Bill 242 that would have banned cell phone use while driving in Texas, even though the legislation passed in both the House and the Senate. The Texas Distracted Driving Summit gave voice to a dangerous issue even after this legal defeat,” explains Houston auto accident attorney Ben Bronston. “Texans need to keep pushing to reform Texas distracted driving laws to protect the safety of drivers everywhere.”

During Distracted Driving Awareness month, several local, state and national organizations launched distracted driving awareness campaigns in an effort to increase awareness for motor vehicle safety and decrease auto accident fatalities. Since drivers between the ages of 16 to 20 years old lead in distracted driving fatalities among other groups, ahead of adult drivers ages 21 to 34, many campaigns target teens. This includes the “Distracted Driving Design Challenge,” by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and “Pledge to End Distracted Driving,” started by Joel Feldman, who lost his daughter to a distracted driver in 2009. Several of these organizations plan to keep adding to their safety campaigns and implementing new distracted driving campaigns throughout the year.

Not only do you need to prove you are a resident of the state, but you’ll need to show you have been a resident for the past 30 days. If you have not lived in the state for at least 30 days, but can prove you do in fact live in Texas, the state will allow you to get a license if you surrender your driver’s license from your previous state.

Critics have said the new law is aimed at controlling illegal immigration, but state officials say it is meant to protect public safety.

Under the new law DPS officials are required to ask all new applicants for a driver’s license or ID card to present two documents showing the person’s name and address to establish proof of residency in the state.

Those documents have to show a person has lived in Texas at least 30 days. Residents with less than 30 days can have that requirement waived by surrendering a valid out-of-state driver license.

Prior to the new rules, DPS officers were allowed to ask for proof of your citizenship or legal status in the country – with something like a passport or birth certificate.

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This type of thinking flies in the face of logic. If we allowed people to behave as they wish when it comes to operating a motor vehicle we wouldn’t require driving licenses, prohibit drinking and driving or require seat belts. But has stood by his veto to this day and other Texas lawmakers have supported him.

Last week at a Texas Distracted Driving Summit in San Antonio, friends and family of Texans killed in distracted driving related crashes spoke to a large group of people about the importance of finally getting a distracted driving ban passed in the state. News reporters, politicians and police were among those in attendance, and perhaps, just perhaps, some of them were swayed in their thinking.

Texting, which places protracted demands on eyes, hands and attention spans, is a qualitatively different type of driver distraction. In June 2011, according to NHTSA statistics, more than 196 billion text messages were sent or received in the United States. That was up nearly 50 percent from a year earlier. Texting continues to grow as a medium of communication, with teens — the least capable drivers — the most likely to use it.

Last week’s Texas Distracted Driving Summit in San Antonio went beyond such statistics and trends. As Express-News staff writer Michelle Koidin Jaffee reported, a succession of surviving relatives told heartbreaking stories that put faces on the victims of distracted driving. Their message: Texans behind the wheel should put down their phones and drive safely.

Many Texas cities, including San Antonio, have ordinances against texting while driving. Last year, the Texas Legislature passed a measure with strong bipartisan support that would have established a statewide ban and sent a strong message on distracted driving. The efficacy of such laws, when enforced, has been demonstrated in NHTSA pilot programs.

When the weather starts to warm up people who ride motorcycles take it as a sign to get their bike out of the garage and go for a ride. Unfortunately, while they are fun, motorcycles also offer less protection than a car or truck so their riders face a greater risk of injury in the event of a crash. When you couple this with the fact some drivers fail to even notice motorcycles because of their size, it is a recipe for disaster.

Texas Department of Public safety is trying to change all that with a public service campaign aimed squarely at drivers.

The statistics regarding crashes involving motorcycles are shocking: number of motorcyclists killed annually since 2000 has more than doubled, from 196 in 2000 to 472 in 2011. The 472 motorcycle drivers and passengers who lost their lives in Texas accounted for 16 percent of traffic deaths in the state. Eighty-seven percent of motorcycle crashes result in death or injury of the motorcyclist. The number of motorcycles on Texas roadways has more than doubled in the last decade.

Hopefully the Texas Department of Public Safety can help turn the tide of motorcycle crashes.

“Motorcyclists face unique safety challenges on Texas roads because they are smaller, more difficult to see and less protected than cars and trucks,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Motorcyclists can protect themselves on the road by obeying traffic laws and wearing their helmets. Motorists can help by looking twice for motorcycles and giving them additional space.”

DPS recommends all drivers “Share the Road” and “Look Twice” for motorcycles, which are public awareness campaigns that highlight motorcycle safety. Motorists should take caution, especially at intersections and when changing lanes – the two places where serious motorcycle collisions occur. Half of all fatal motorcycle crashes in Texas occur because the car or truck driver never saw the motorcyclist.

This has the TxDOT ramping up efforts to educate drivers on the dangers present on work zones, not just for the crews who are working there, but also for the drivers who are sharing the road with them.

Stiff penalties and fines are already in place for drivers who ignore safe speed limits imposed in these areas, or those who are careless and unsafe. This new effort by the TxDOT is meant to remind drivers that these penalties exist for a reason: Public safety.

Texas now used ankle monitors which detect alcohol, interlock devices which require the driver to submit to a self-administered breathalyzer test before the engine will start, and increased fines. There is also the increased likelihood even first time offenders will serve some jail time if convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Last December the National Transportation Safety Board released a report which said that traffic fatalities caused by distracted driving now outpaced the number of fatalities caused by driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For the first time in decades something was worse than driving drunk so attention was shifted in that direction. But driving drunk did not suddenly become less dangerous because something else was causing more fatal crashes. In fact, drunk driving remains a deadly combination. Drivers who get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol face increased risk to themselves and others, along with the possibility of arrest, traffic citations and jail time.

Texas is hardly the only state grappling with a number of annual vehicle crashes caused by driving under the influence of alcohol. Every state has its fair share of drunk drivers and every state has consistently stepped up efforts to combat this scourge. Drunk driving fines across the nation have gone up, so has the threat of jail time, the use of interlock devices, and increased vigilance against drunk driving by police.

In Texas lawmakers and police have turned their focus to drunk driving not because distracted driving doesn’t matter to them, but because they know a problem when they see it and they have the tools to fight it head on.