Texas Driver Safety and Training

Traffic fatality rates have reached a record low in the Lone Star state. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released its annual data showing that there were 1.34 traffic related deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in Texas in 2009. That number is .14 less than in 2008. Traffic fatalities rates have been recorded for the last 75 years. In 1935, Texas had a death rate of 16.6 per 100 million vehicle miles.

Authorities attribute the reduction in the death rate to safer vehicles, increased usage of safety belts, and public-awareness campaigns reminding drivers to be safe on the road. The economy is also thought to be a factor. In an effort to cut costs (and conserve gas) people have started driving less.

Nationally, in 2009 there were 1.13 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled according to an NHTSA study that released in August, 2010. Across the country were 33,808 traffic related fatalities in 2009. That is the lowest since 1950!
The state of Texas had 3,071 traffic fatalities in 2009. That’s a 12 percent decrease from 2008 and the fewest deaths in 17 years. These declines are happening in despite the increasingly congested roadways across the state and drivers distracted by their cell phones. Authorities attribute these declines to the safety innovations that have been implemented over the past few decades.

Seat belts and air bags have been the most beneficial of the aforementioned safety innovations. Over the past few decades, state seat belt laws were made tougher. Now, everyone in the car is required to wear a safety belt or be secured in a car seat. Additionally, children are now required to remain in a car seat until age 7. Previously, it was required until age 2. These amendments to existing laws and the “Click It, or Ticket” program helped the state of Texas achieve 93.8 percent compliance with the seat belt laws in 2009.




Technological advancements have also aided the decrease in traffic related fatalities in Texas and across the country. Automakers are using new technology and more advanced crash tests to make vehicles safer than ever before. Shatter-proof safety glass is just one example of the many new ways that automakers have found to make passenger vehicles safer.

Passenger vehicles are not all that is being designed with safety in mind. Nowadays, roadways are also being designed for safety. In the past five years, Texas has spent $1.2 billion on road improvement projects. They projects have added 270 left turned lanes, installed miles of median barriers (made of either concrete or cable), and widened 2,200 narrow roads.

Labels: click it or ticket, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texas driving laws

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: dismiss traffic ticket, texas driving laws, texas traffic laws, texas traffic ticket, traffic cameras, traffic lights

From prairie country in the panhandle through dry, arid desert, down to the semi tropical climate on the Gulf Coast, few states have a more varied climate than Texas. With basically nothing more than a barbed wire fence to separate them from winter storms rushing down the eastern slope of the Rockies, the residents of the Panhandle area are somewhat accustomed to blizzards. The residents of the Gulf Coast rarely see snow but this December saw the earliest recorded snowfall in the Houston area and the second year in a row in which snow fell on the Gulf Coast. As its name suggests, the Hill Country can be especially difficult to drive in during a snow or ice storm and the western desert is not a place where a driver would want to be stranded in the snow.

The early snow storm in Houston led to the death of one motorist and serious injuries to a police officer investigating a traffic crash when another driver, attempting to slow down, lost control and crashed into the patrol car pinning the officer between his car and the guard rail. For drivers unused to driving in the snow, these weather extremes can be extremely dangerous. Drivers traveling across Texas in the winter should prepare for the worse.

If you live in an area that rarely sees snow, remember the following safety tips for driving in snow:

• It is important to remember that even a small amount of snow can make the roads very slippery and treacherous. The problem becomes worse when the snow on the road, reduced to slush by passing cars, freezes overnight and turns into a sheet of ice.


• Remember that bridges and overpasses will freeze first.


• Stay home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to go out.


• If you must go out, drive slowly.


• When slowing, don't hit the brakes too hard or fast; it can cause you to spin out and lose control of your car.


• Anticipate areas where there may be pedestrians and drive slowly.


• If your car begins to skid, turn your wheel in the direction of the skid. If the rear of your car starts to skid to the left, turn your wheel to the left. Take your foot off the gas and don't apply the brakes until your car has slowed and you have regained control. Look where you want your car to go and steer gently back and forth until your car is centered in the lane.

If you live in those areas of Texas where blizzards are common, remember the following tips:

• Blowing and drifting snow can obscure the edges of the roadway. Look for snow markers on the edge of the road.


• Whiteout conditions can exist, obscuring all road details and traffic ahead.


• If whiteout conditions exist, treat it like fog. Don't use your high beams; high beams will reflect off the snow making it more difficult to see ahead.


• In whiteout conditions, turn off your radio and listen for the sounds of traffic ahead.

If you are traveling across Texas on the interstates:

• In the desert, there are areas of where freeway exits are more than 100 miles apart.


• Make sure your gas tank is full. Keep it topped off before traveling on those long empty stretches between exits.


• Take extra blankets, power bars, and water in case you are stranded on the interstate between exits.


• If you are stranded, conserve gas. Run your car's engine just long enough to heat up the car and then shut it off.


• While running your engine, be aware of the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure your tail pipe isn't covered by snow and crack a window slightly while running the engine.


• Do not leave your car and attempt to walk. You are safer in your car until rescue personnel arrive.

Labels: driver safety course, driving safety, texas driving laws, winter driving

In Texas, drivers who receive a traffic ticket may be able to have the ticket dismissed and keep their auto insurance rates from increasing when they take an online defensive driving course. Texas drivers who haven't received a ticket may qualify for an insurance discount. As an added benefit, all drivers who take a defensive driving course will learn a variety of driver safety techniques.

An online defensive driving course is helpful to drivers at all levels of experience; young drivers benefit from receiving training that reinforces the lessons they received before becoming licensed, and drivers with years of experience benefit from receiving a refresher on driver safety techniques.

Young drivers learn a considerable amount of theory in driver education courses, and are often too excited and overwhelmed to put this theory into practice when they begin behind-the-wheel training. A traffic ticket is an early warning sign that the young driver has not assimilated theoretical safe driving concepts into their driving practice, is succumbing to peer or internal pressure and using risky driving behaviors, has not received enough behind-the-wheel training, or all of the above. More driver education could help a young driver avoid a motor vehicle crash and its possible tragic consequences.

Drivers who have years of experience behind the wheel have often become complacent in their driving habits. The driving environment may have undergone changes (such as increased traffic congestion) since they learned to drive, but few drivers stop to consider whether changes in their driving behavior are needed. Drivers who are parents can learn better driving habits so they can serve as better driving examples for their children. Some techniques, such as following distance, have been updated since more mature drivers on the road received driver training; defensive driving courses also include updates on legislative changes that affect drivers. Also, mature drivers have to contend with new distractions, such as cellular phones and in-vehicle navigation systems, whether they are being used by themselves or other drivers.

Some drivers are hesitant to take a course online, especially if they have limited computer experience. But these courses are easy for anyone to use and can be taken in the safety and comfort of the driver's home. Online courses offer convenience, ease of use, and flexibility, along with an opportunity to improve driving skills, which helps keep all road users safer.

Labels: defensive driving, driving habits, driving safety, online defensive driving, texas driving laws, texas traffic ticket

The Texas Legislature had a busy year in 2009 and enacted the following laws that went into effect on September 1st.

Driving Safety

• Seat Belts

HB 537 requires all occupants of a vehicle, no matter where they are seated to wear safety belts or to be secured in an approved child safety seat. Passenger vehicles include passenger vans that carry up to 15 passengers including the driver.

This law also removes the exemption for third-party Medicare transporters and now requires that they use child passenger safety seats.


• Child Restraint Seats

SB 61 changed the law regarding child safety seats and now requires any child 8 years and under to be secured in an approved child safety seat. Children too large for the typical toddler child safety seat need to be secured in a booster seat. Children younger than 8 who are at least 4'9" tall can be placed in a regular seat belt.

The fine for this offense is $25 for a first offense and $250 for a second offense. The law also includes an increase in court costs to provide child safety seats for low income families.


• Wireless Communication (Cell Phones and Texting)

HB 55 makes it illegal for any driver to use a cell phone while in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or the driver is using a hands free device.

A permitted defense to prosecution under this law is if the driver was making an emergency call.

Teen Drivers/Minors

HB 2730 requires that all applicants under the age of 18 take the driving skills exam to receive a driver license.

The law requires that a provisional driver's license or instruction permit expire on the individual's 18th birthday. It also removed the requirement that a provisional driver's license or instruction permit be renewed every year. The fee for those licenses increases from $5 to $15.

• Graduated Driving Laws

HB 2730 extends the current phase-two restrictions for holders of a graduated driver's license from 6 months to 1 year. The restrictions include limits to night time driving and the number of passengers.


• Wireless Communication

HB 2730 and HB 339 restrict all drivers under the age of 18 from using a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle.


• Crimes

HB 2730 closes a loophole so a person who commits an offense as a minor cannot circumvent the driver license penalty if the person turns 21 before their court date.

HB 2730 provides that if a child is engaged in conduct involving a severe form of trafficking persons, a judge at a juvenile hearing is required to order the juvenile's driver license or permit to be suspended.


• Boating While Intoxicated

SB 328 gives DPS the power to suspend a minor's driver license if they fail a breath or blood alcohol test while operating a watercraft. The Transportation Code clearly defines the suspension period for an individual who was under the age of 21 at the time when the offense of boating under the influence or driving under the influence of alcohol occurred. The law also increases the reinstatement fee for a license suspended under sections from $50 to $100.

Driver's Licenses
HB 2730 prohibits DPS from issuing a driver license or identification card to a person who has not established a domicile in Texas. The law specifies that an applicant may receive a driver license at a post office box only if the applicant's residence address has also been provided, with some exceptions.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles
SB 129 authorizes neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) to be operated on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less. The bill authorizes driver license holders to operate NEVs without having a motorcycle endorsement, clarifies that drivers and passengers in such vehicles are not required to wear helmets and specifies that enclosed three-wheeled vehicles as described in the bill are authorized to operate in preferential lanes.

Motorcycles
HB 537 prohibits a motorcycle operator from carrying a passenger under the age of 5 unless the child is seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle.

SB 1967 requires that applicants for an original class M license or class A, B or C driver license (including commercial driver licenses and permits) with authorization to operate a motorcycle, provide evidence of completion of an approved motorcycle operator training course.

The law also removes the minimum limit of $10,000 in health insurance to be eligible to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. The rider must be at least 21 years of age and provide proof of an applicable health insurance plan.

The law increases the penalty for failure to yield the right-of-way if there is a crash that results in injury to a person other than the motorcycle operator.

Labels: driving safety, texas drivers license, texas driving laws