Texas Driver Safety and Training

Running a red light is a universally bad idea. In Texas, (and most anywhere else) motorists should pay attention to traffic lights. These traffic lights are one of the basic things to know about driving: the green light means go, the red light means stop, and the yellow light means that the light will turn either green or red.

Following that rule should be simple, right? Here are a few things to know about the traffic lights in Texas:

Traffic Cameras

In most cities in Texas, there are traffic cameras installed where there are traffic lights. At first, one might conjure up images of “Big Brother” watching each and every vehicle passing the road, but the reality is: these traffic cameras are only triggered when a vehicle runs a red light. They usually have a grace period of half a second, enough time for a vehicle to notice the red light and stop at the appropriate time.

Red lights

When a vehicle runs a red light, the high-speed traffic cameras capture the plate number and the model of the car, and that image is further examined by professional traffic enforcers to determine if there was an offense or not. When it is confirmed that a vehicle caught on camera did indeed ignore the traffic light, they will be mailed a citation using the information from their plate number. The Texas traffic light offender will then choose to either pay the fine, or appear in court. After that, there is also a possibility of being ordered to attend a defensive driving or driving education course that specializes in traffic lights and signs. Fines are usually between $75 to $100, plus other fees.

Traffic signal out

Surprisingly, there is a law that was only enacted in 2003: when a traffic light is out, all intersections turn into four-way stop. No exceptions. A traffic light can be considered “out” when none of the signals are flashing, or when the lights are behaving erratically.

In Texas, these laws are put into practice to keep Texas a safer place to drive!

Complete a Texas Defensive Driving Course to reduce points on your driving record or for an auto insurance discount.

Labels: texas driving laws, traffic lights

Earning a CDL License in Texas can be a confusing task. Knowing the right procedure, list of requirements and passing the tests may sound easy, but here are a few tips to get you started into getting your Texas CDL License.

• Check if your local Texas driver's license office offers CDL testing. Not all driver's license offices are the same, some don't offer CDL testing, so check first with your local office or nearby counties for information. Here's a link to a Texas DPS page that offers information on some driver's license offices. (http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rolodex/search.asp) You might still need to call, so find contact numbers for the driver's license office in the county you are checking.



• Know the Requirements. A prerequisite for drivers is being at least over 21 years old and must already be licensed. Bringing your Social Security card along with your license is for verifying your identity.



• Know your vehicle's (truck's) weight class and fill out the appropriate Texas CDL license form. Each class has its own application form, so applying for the wrong one might take you more time in getting your CDL License.
  
  
  
  • Class A is for a combination of vehicles that weigh from 26,001 pounds or more,
  
  
  • Class B is for a single vehicle that weighs 26,001 pounds or more,
  
  
  • Class C is for single or combination vehicles that don't fall into either Class A or Class B criteria, and might be designed for a specialized purpose.
  
  
  
  



• Review the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook. The written and skills exam questions will be based on the contents here. Here is a link to the PDF version of the handbook: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InternetForms/Forms/DL-7C.pdf. Additionally, signing up for a CDL practice test will also help you pass your Texas CDL Licensing exams.



• Have a commercial vehicle for your driving test. Applicants are required to provide the vehicles they will be tested on. Usually, when applying for a Texas CDL, the driving test will be performed using the vehicle that the applicant will be driving, once they obtain their license.



• After you have passed, there will be a fee for your CDL license. It is usually just a little over $60. Applicants will also be required to take a photo and get their fingerprints on record after this process.

By following these tips and maintaining a good driving record, an applicant will stand a greater chance at obtaining their Texas CDL License quickly, with relatively less hassle and confusion.

Labels: commercial drivers license, texas cdl, texas drivers license

Summer is here! For many adults that does not really mean more than extra daylight hours and warmer weather. Our lives do not really change much in the summer as most of us still go to work as we do throughout all the other seasons. However, summer represents change for many teenagers across the country. This summer is the first summer many teens will be able to drive.

These news drivers are undoubtedly eager to get behind the wheel and enjoy three school free months behind the wheel. Not surprising is that many parents are slightly less eager. According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the approximate three month span from Memorial Day – Labor is the deadliest time of year for drivers 15-20.

According to many traffic safety experts fatalities increase among teenage drivers in the summer because many teens experience an increased amount of free time and a simultaneous decreased amount of supervision. For many teens, everyday might as well be a Saturday or a Sunday throughout the summer. In that same respect, every night might as well be a Friday or Saturday night. This means, teens are out driving more at night when driving conditions become more difficult.

Throughout the school year, Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. – midnight are the deadliest hours of the week for teenagers. Since many teens may have three months of nonstop Friday and Saturday nights its necessary that they understand the importance of driver safety.

Many teen crashes are caused by either inexperience or immaturity (or both). Many of the crashes that occur during the school year are caused by the former. During the summer, more often than not the latter seems to be the cause as teenagers have more free time with their friends they opt to drive around aimlessly in search of something to do. In many cases useless driving can lead to risk taking, which can lead to crashes.

Consider limiting your teens driving privileges throughout the first summer her or she has a drivers license. This can help avoid some of the risky behaviors and immature actions. For example, only allowing your teen to drive when there is a clear set destination will help to eliminate most of the useless driving that tends to lead to risky behaviors. Also, limiting the amount of driving your teenager is able to do at night will cut down on the amount of time he or she spends behind the wheel in more dangerous driving conditions. Another helpful way to keep your teen safe is to limit the amount of passengers he or she is allowed to have in the vehicle at a certain time.

Establishing a clear and concise set up penalties for breaking any of the limitations you set will help ensure your teen takes these rules seriously. A good start is completing a Teen Driving Contract that you and your child will sign outlining the consequences.

• Complete this Quick and Easy Online Teen Driving Contract in 7 Steps.

To help your new teen driver gain confidence and a better understanding of driving conditions a Parent Teen Driving Handbook includes New Driver Log Book, Checklist for Parents and Evauation Report and material to create your own Parent-Teen Driving Contract.

• View a Sample Preview of the Parent Teen Driving Handbook.

Labels: driver education, driver training, driving handbook, parent teen driver, teen drivers, teen driving contract

How did our highway system come about? How safe are the Toll Roads?

Do toll plazas create danger on the highways? Do they make toll roads unsafe? Does excessive speed cause more crashes?

These are some of the many questions being asked about toll roads. It was in 1956 that President Eisenhower enacted the Federal-Aid Highway Act which set the design standards for the Interstate Highway System and allowed tolls to be charged on some of the roadways. These highways did not get completed until 1991. There are now almost 50,000 miles of roads available to us.

Among all these miles, there are about 5,000 miles of toll roads. Since we have 50 states and the District of Columbia, if we divided 51 evenly, it would come out to less than 98 miles per state. However, only 32 of the states actually have toll roads, some with as little as 1 mile to the state of Florida which has about 700 miles of toll roads. The fees that are charged can vary from state to state, from as little as 2 cents per mile to as much as 18 cents per mile. Some of the states with low miles only have bridges or tunnels that charge tolls.

Texas has recently launched a Toll Road safety campaign. Their safety tips for drivers can apply to any toll road:

• Slow down in cash lanes and on exit ramps.


• Never back up to change lanes.


• Do not get out of your car at the toll plaza.


• If you are on the wrong lane for paying, just keep driving through and you will get a bill in the mail for the toll fee.


• Watch for stopped vehicles in cash lanes.


• If possible and you have a payment transponder, use the express lanes.


• If paying by cash, be sure your lane has the green arrow or light.


• Avoid distractions, such as cell phone, talking or texting, and anything that takes your eyes off the road.


• Always buckle up.

Today many of the toll plazas have special lanes for the state issued transponders. Since you do not have to stop to pay the toll, it makes the highway safer. You must still use caution for the special assigned lanes, as well as prepare for a reduction in speed.

Toll roads have a better safety record than secondary roads and non toll highways. This happens because they have better maintenance records, such as covering potholes, fixing barriers, constant road monitoring. The one factor that toll road operators cannot control is the driver. The driver is responsible for the speed that the vehicle travels as well as any distractions that occur and risks taken, by exceeding the speed limits.

The Florida Turnpike has instituted several safety initiatives to ensure an excellent safety record. They include:

• additional patrols always available and during specified holidays


• restaurants at the service areas offer free coffee


• an incident management in place


• a streamlined policy on handling emergencies.

Their goal is to have the roadway clear within 90 minutes of a crash. Public outreach and education is on going at the service plazas to encourage safety, including child car seat checks and reminders to “Buckle Up”.

Many of the older toll roads are upgrading the toll collection plazas by using overhead connections to the transponders making it is unnecessary to slow down when approaching a toll booth, but imperative to watch the signage on the roadway to ensure you are in the correct lanes. The newer roadways, because of computer simulations, have fewer curves for better visibility.

The roads are constructed for safer travel, but now it is up to the drivers to be sure that they are not tired or distracted, their vehicles are well maintained, and keep in mind - “Safety First”.

Labels: driver safety, driver safety tips, Highway Safety, toll road campaign, toll road safety, toll roads

It has been widely reported recently that number of fatal automobile accidents has decreased within the last 10 years nationwide. That is a trend all Americans should try to maintain throughout the next decade and beyond. However, new research conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute discovered that while the number of fatalities as whole declined the percentage of fatalities that occurred at night has increased over the last decade, particularly with teenagers.

The results of the study clearly portray the increasing hazards of nighttime driving for American teenagers and American drivers in general. According o the Texas Transportation Institute's report, the percentage of nighttime fatalities among 16-19 year old drivers increased 10 percent nationwide from 1999-2008. The percentage of nighttime fatalities for driver 20 and older increased 8 percent during same time period.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute the percentage increase for drivers age 20 and older can be attributed mainly to incidents of alcohol impaired driving. However, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not causing the rise for younger drivers. In its report the institute, which is part of Texas A&M University, named driver distraction as the likely cause of the increase. Specifically, the pointed to driver distraction caused by talking and texting on cell phones while operating a motor vehicle. The data used in the study was obtained form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Nighttime driving can be more dangerous than daytime driving in general because of decreased visibility and possible delayed reaction times due to driver fatigue. These factors are even more dangerous to inexperienced teenage drivers. Unfortunately, it's impossible to combat these inherent factors. This leaves removing the distraction as the only possibly option to ensure safety.

This day in age everyone relies on their cell phones. Parents probably wouldn't feel comfortable with their teenager driving without one. In case of an emergency most parents would want their teen to be able to call for help. However, most parents also want to make sure their kids aren't being distracted behind the wheel.

In recent years many states have passed laws aimed to make teens stop texting and/or talking while driving. For example, In 2009 Texas Legislature passed a law forbidding drivers under 18 from making cell phone calls and texting while driving for the first 12 months after they get their licenses. In reviewing the Texas GDL Laws, new drivers can receive their learners permit at 15 and need to hold it for six months before getting their driver's license. In addition, they require 20 hours of supervised driving before they are able to drive on their own. At that point, Texas GDL laws allow new drivers to have no more than 1 passenger younger than 21 and nighttime driving restrictures require new drivers to not be on the road between the hours of 12:00 midnight until 5:00 a.m. Most important, Texas does not allow cell phone or text messaging during the intermediate state of their GDL Laws.

While these laws are helpful in the battle to end distracted driving amongst teenagers; a citation, or the threat of one, is not going to physically stop teens from using their phones behind the wheel.

However, parents can now have the best of both worlds. They can ensure their children aren't using their phones behind the wheel without having to take their phones away. Many cell phone companies are offering applications that prevent texting and calling while the car is in motion. The application's software relies on the phones GPS system to determine if the car is in motion. The software then stops the user from sending text messages and receiving calls. While the programs aren't an absolute fix (for example a teen could text at a red light or stop sign), they are a helpful tool for parents. When these applications are coupled with the laws in place its possible to combat this dangerous driving habit of America's teenagers.

Labels: driving hazards, nighttime driving fatalities, road hazards, teen drivers

Spring is in full swing. The weather is warmer and people are excited! Many are excited to simply hang up their winter coats and pull out their summer dresses. Others, are excited to polish their motorcycles and take them out for long over due rides. As the temperature increases, the amount of motorcyclists on the road increases too. May begins peak riding season and is also Motorcycle Safety Month.

Motorcycle Safety Month aims to remind drivers to be aware of motorcycle riders and to be mindful of their safety according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. About half of all motorcycle crashes involve a passenger vehicle. In those crashes, the car driver is most often at fault. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reminds drivers to, “drive nice and look twice.” Meaning, drivers should double check blind spots and be acutely aware to the presence of motorcyclists around them.

Motorcycle enthusiasts throughout the state of Texas help promote Motorcycle Safety Awareness throughout the month. Although it is national Motorcycle Safety Month, the Texas initiative was started in 2003 by the Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents (TCOC&I). The state-wide effort involves 10 TCOC&I Regions with is comprised of 211 cities and 14 counties. Texas Governor Rick Perry helped kick off the safety promotion. He encouraged, "All Texas motorists to do everything they can to ensure the safety of motorcyclists and other users of Texas roadways."

There are many things that drivers can do to help ensure the safety of the motorcyclists they’re sharing road space with. Some of the following safety precautions may seem like common sense. However, since almost two-thirds of fatal motorcycle crashes involve a passenger vehicle, clearly a little reminder wouldn’t hurt.

• Look out for Motorcyclists



Check your blind spots often




Double check them when you're attempting to change lanes



• Pay attention



Distracted drivers are especially dangerous to motorcyclists

• Give riders room to maneuver



Motorcycles need as space on the road a normal passenger car.




During wet road conditions it can take a motor cycle longer than a car to come to a sudden stop.



• Always use your turn signal


• Don't litter




Cigarettes, trash and other debris on the road can be hazardous to motorcyclists if they run it over or are hit with it while riding.

If you are a motorcyclist there are many things you can do to better protect yourself on the road. First and foremost you should obtain a motorcycle license and proper motorcycle safety training. These are absolutely imperative, without a license and proper training the following safety measurers will mostly likely render completely useless. However, once licensed and trained, the following measures will help ensure your safety.

• Ensure your motorcycle is in good shape


 Check tire pressure weekly.
 Check the treading on a regular basis to prevent a major blow-out on the highway.
 Check of oil and/or gas leaks on a regular basis.


• Wear Protection


 Always wear a helmet! It may not look too cool, but it will definitely help save your life. If your helmet does not have a full face guard, you should purchase goggles.
 A long sleeved leather jacket and leather pants will help prevent painful road burn in the event there is an accident. Another heavy fabric can also be substituted for leather is you prefer.
 Thick soled boots that cover your ankles will help prevent burns for the heat of the road and your bike.


• Use good judgment

 Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is always a bad idea. It doesn't matter if you are licensed, trained and wearing all the right gear, if you’re operating a motorcycle impaired your odds of being involved in an accident increase tremendously.
 Follow the rules of the road. Always obey speed limits and other rules of the road.
 Ride within your own limits. There is no need to show off on motorcycle, plenty of people already think your brave for being on one in the first place.

Labels: motorcycle safety, motorcyclists

Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the armadillo that it can be done!

From the semi-tropical coastal plain to the mountainous deserts in the west, Texas is unique among all the states and, other than alpine meadows and arctic tundra, Texas has just about every type of landscape that one can encounter. The varying landscape means varying populations of animals that can pose dangers if they are encountered on the roadway. From alligators in the southeast to antelope and mule deer in the west, Texas has it all and each animal poses its own particular type of hazards. Being aware of the animal populations one can encounter and learning how to deal with an animal or herd of animals on the road is critical.

According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, approximately 200 motorists each year are killed in animal related collisions, either from direct impact with a large animal or veering off the road or into oncoming traffic while trying to avoid hitting the animal. In addition to the deaths, more than 26,000 motorists are involved in animal related crashes each year.

No matter how small or large, all animals, wild or domestic, can pose hazards to drivers. No one wants to injure or kill an animal that has wandered out into the road but, if that happens, drivers face some critical decisions and they often have to make that decision within a second or two. Having a plan in advance can make that decision process a lot shorter.

When encountering an animal, the natural response is to veer out of the way to avoid hitting it but that can be a fatal choice. Drivers need to be aware that they can encounter an animal at any time and they need to be aware of the driving situation around them in order to make the best choice. Unfortunately, quite often, the best choice for a driver is to hit the animal. Veering to avoid the animal can take you into oncoming traffic or off the roadway where it is difficult to recover. Veering to avoid the animal can have tragic consequences not only for you and your passengers but also for other motorists on the road.

The deaths in animal related collisions most often involved deer. Deer can be a catch-all phrase for any type of large, hoofed animal and Texas has quite a few of them. Understanding the behavior of these animals and where they can be encountered, can help a driver prepare for an encounter.

• White Tailed Deer - This animal is the most common type of deer found in the US and can be encountered in any part of Texas. Deer tend to herd in small groups made up primarily of does and their offspring. Deer are most commonly encountered in the early morning or at dusk and can be seen foraging along the side of the road. If you see one deer, you can count on others being nearby. Before sunrise or at dusk, your first hint of a deer along the road may be the reflection of your headlights in their eyes. If you see deer, start slowing immediately and sound your horn. Do not flash your bright lights or you will encounter the proverbial deer caught in the headlights phenomenon where the deer freeze in place. Your best bet is to scare them with your horn and hope that they run back into the woods but be prepared for them to escape across the roadway directly into your path.
• Mule Deer - This animal is most commonly found in the arid southwest part of the state. Mule deer have seasonal migrations in the spring and fall when they move to higher elevations and back in search of food. Weather conditions can also force them to migrate into areas where they are not commonly seen. Just like the White Tail, these animals tend to hide away under the shelter of trees during the heat of the day and come out to forage at dusk and dawn. Unlike the White Tail Deer, the Mule Deer does not wave its white tail in the air. Some species of Mule Deer have dark tails and all species tend to keep their tails down making them more difficult to see at night than the White Tail Deer.
• Pronghorn Antelope - This animal is most often encountered in the high plains from the Panhandle to the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Pronghorn normally live alone or in small bands during the summer but gather into large herds during the winter. Unlike the deer, this animal forages at all times of the day and night. The Pronghorn is the fastest land animal in the western hemisphere and can easily run at speeds of 45 mph for long distances and can, in some instances, reach speeds of up to 60 mph. Unlike the Cheetah, which can only run at high speeds for short spurts, the Pronghorn can maintain a high speed for long distances. Encountering a Pronghorn at these speeds combined with the speed of your vehicle can be devastating.
• Fallow Deer - This animal is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe but was brought to Texas for hunting purposes. These deer were primarily kept on ranges but have broken out and now occupy 93 Texas counties with a population of approximately 14,000 animals. Their behavior is similar to the White Tail and Mule Deer. The males gather in small bachelor groups. Females and their young are normally segregated into their own groups.

Labels: crash prevention techniques, driving safety, road hazards, texas roadways