Share the Road

Be aware, pay attention.

Local municipalities, such as Pinehurst and the City of Orange, recently have issued proclamations declaring May Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month.

The Texas Department of Transportation launched the “Share the Road” campaign which aims to reduce Texas motorcycle accidents.

While auto accident fatalities have decreased in recent years, more people are dying on motorcycles than ever before. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a person riding a motorcycle has a five times greater chance of being injured in a crash and a 25 times greater chance of dying in a collision.

In Texas, 429 motorcyclists were killed in 2010. This represents 14% of the state’s fatalities cause by motor vehicles. Approximately one-third of those fatality accidents happened at an intersection. Of those motorcycle fatalities, 85 were between the ages of 13 - 26.

In 2011, 470 motorcyclists were killed on Texas roads, representing 16% of all motor vehicle deaths for that same year and 5,770 motorcyclists were seriously injured.

The number of motorcycles registered within the state has more than doubled in the last decade as well as the number of motorcyclist killed.

The Texas Department of Transportation recommends:

• Look twice at intersections: Watch out for cyclists at intersections and check mirrors regularly and clearly signal your intentions.

• Give motorcycle space: Don’t follow a motorcycle too closely. Allow a full lane of travel space between your vehicle and a motorcycle.

• Anticipate next steps: Obstructions that drivers do not notice could prove to be fatal for a motorcyclist.

__________________
source: The Orange Leader (Burleigh, 5/3)

Many Texas highways will soon get 75-mph speed limit

Good news for Texas leadfoots:

The speed limit will soon rise from 70 to 75 mph on nearly 1,500 miles of highway. The new limit was approved Thursday by the Texas Transportation Commission after studies on the roads determined that the change would be safe.

For Fort Worth-area motorists, the changes affect only out-of-town trips. For example, on a trip to Austin, drivers can save a few minutes by driving 75 mph on Interstate 35 south of Hillsboro. Same goes for those traveling to Abilene. They can go 75 mph on I-20 west of Weatherford.

But before you put the pedal to the metal, wait until you actually see the new speed limit signs, which will be posted in the coming days or weeks.

"The new speed limit is not official until the signs go up," warned Carol Rawson, Texas Department of Transportation traffic operations director.

Where will the new speed limits be?

I-10: 289 miles, El Paso, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Bexar, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Gonzales, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Jefferson and Orange counties.

I-20: 423 miles, Crane, Ector, Midland, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Van Zandt, Smith, Gregg and Harrison counties.

I-27: 109 miles, Lubbock, Hale, Swisher and Randall counties.

I-30: 139 miles, Hunt, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris and Bowie counties.

I-35: 106 miles, Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke counties.

I-37: 130 miles, Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa and Bexar counties.

I-40: 166 miles, Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley and Wheeler counties.

I-44: 11 miles, Wichita County.

I-45: 143 miles, Walker, Madison, Leon, Freestone and Navarro counties.

Four other highways in Central Texas got the new speed limit late last year, all in the Austin area -- I-35 from Georgetown to Salado, and Texas 130, Texas 45 and U.S. 281 -- and a number of roads have had it for several years. Once the signs are up, Texas will have 3,063 miles of highway with a 75-mph limit.

And, of course, Texas is famous (safety advocates might say infamous) for its 80-mph limit on 521 miles of I-10 and I-20 in far West Texas.

That's a grand total of 3,584 miles where drivers can go 75 mph or faster.

While the higher threshold may be fun for speed freaks, state officials caution that being allowed to go fast doesn't necessarily mean you should.

But for those who feel comfortable driving 75 mph, tests conducted by state engineers have concluded that the roads are designed for that speed and that under current conditions the overwhelming majority of traffic is already going that fast -- illegally, for now.

"People should know we didn't make these decisions in a vacuum," said Texas Transportation Commissioner Bill Meadows of Fort Worth.

For the complete run-down, view here.

_____________
source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram (Dickson, 1/26)

More "road gators" during record-setting heat

CENTRAL TEXAS - Drive up and down I-35 and you're bound to see shredded bits and pieces of tires littering the roadway. The dangerous debris comes mostly from 18-wheelers, and the record-setting heat this summer is putting the rubber on the road.

Joe Varner narrowly escaped what could have been a serious accident driving southbound on I-35 when the car ahead of him swerved to dodge rubber debris.

"All of a sudden, the car goes crazy," said Varner. "I'm thinking we're fixing to dodge a wreck. I don't know what's going on. Sure enough, I'm running over a tire."

J.B. Hunt driver Olen Tussey, knows all too well what it's like to be behind the wheel of a truck during a tire blowout. He had one three weeks ago.

"You hear this big giant pop," Tussey said. "It actually blew out my airbag for my air suspension."

The tire on Tussey's trailer was a recapped, or a retreaded tire. Retreads are essentially used tires with new treads glued on. While Tussey and others said they trust retreads as they do regular tires, damaged or poorly maintained retreads are especially dangerous in 100degree heat.

With the asphalt reaching temperatures near 120-degrees, glue between the tire and the tread can heat up and liquify. If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tread may actually start to break apart. In fact, entire treads can come lose, and TxDOT says that's not uncommon during the summer months.

"The road is staying much hotter for longer and that's had an impact on the tires," said Waco TxDOT spokesperson, Ken Roberts. "As a result, we get a lot more shredded tires or 'gators' on the roadways."

Roberts said TEXDOT routinely sends crews to pick up road debris, but it's hard to keep everything clear on I-35 with the amount of big rig traffic.

"We got an awful lot of trucks, which means there's an awful lot of tires," Roberts added.

A good way to avoid tire blowouts and retread accidents in the first place is to check tire pressure often. Tussey and others recommend tires on 18-wheelers to be inflated to about 100 psi.

____________
source: www.kxxv.com (Brennan, 8/24)

Statewide "No Refusal Weekend" in Effect for July 4th Holiday

The July 4 holiday weekend is notoriously one of the most dangerous time of year for Texas drives. So today law enforcement agencies across the state announced a new initiative to keep drivers safe. It's the first ever of its kind in the nation, a state-wide "No Refusal Weekend."

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association shows that over the past 25 years about half of the crashes over the holiday involve alcohol.

Texas is the deadliest state in the nation when it comes to DWI fatalities. Texas statutes designed to decrease the carnage on our roads have been effective to a degree, but many measures seem to have limited success in further curbing the number of deaths.

Last year in Texas alone, officers responded to 337,000 crashes over a three-day time span. This year, the state is stepping up enforcement. Agencies are dispatching additional officers to the road searching for suspected drunk drivers. In participating counties, they will not take "no" for an answer.

TxDOT has posted this video to their YouTube channel explaining what happens if you decide to get behind the wheel after you've been drinking during a "no refusal" weekend.

The "no refusal" program is the plan created by Montgomery County prosecutor Warren Diepraam several years ago. Diepraam says it's getting results.

Anyone who is pulled over for suspected drunk driving will have to either submit to a breath test or have their blood drawn. Officials say it takes as little as 15 minutes to secure a warrant for a blood draw and five minutes after that to get the blood drawn.

If you do happened to be involved in an automotive accident, chances are you can benefit from the services of Texas Injury Lawyer.

Let our experience, commitment and fight work to get you the money you deserve to rebuild your life. Our commitment to you: We will not be out worked!

Contact us today for a free consultation.