Overview of TxDOT Traffic Safety Programs

Welcome To Irving

TxDOT Traffic Safety Programs

• The Texas Department of Transportation does much more than engineering, traffic management, road signs & signals

• Safety initiatives to improve driver behavior, eliminate roadway hazards, increase law enforcement

• Some of the more notable initiatives:

These initiatives can effect your workload directly!

Why Traffic Safety?

• Texas consistently ranks in the top two states for traffic fatalities

• We run neck and neck with California even though we have less population

2005 Fatality Crashes County # of Fatalities1.Harris County 3602.Dallas County 2343.Bexar County 1684.Tarrant County 1445.Travis County 946.Hidalgo County917.Mont. County 648.El Paso County629.Jefferson County 6110.Smith County 55

*Economic impact of $19 Billion in year 2000

Law Enforcement Initiatives

Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEP)

• Grant funds provide increased enforcement of traffic laws

• 172 agencies received 233 grants (2007)• Various types of grants include:

– Safety Belt– Speed– DWI– Intersection Traffic Control– Commercial Motor Vehicle– Year Long, Waves, and Mobilizations

Police Traffic Services Support

• 6 LECs cover the State of Texas • Recruit law enforcement agencies to

participate in traffic enforcement grants• Assist with all grant related paperwork and

policies• Spread Traffic Safety Message to Public• Maintain Buckle Up Texas website

www.buckleuptexas.com

• Work in conjunction with and support “partner agencies” (TMCEC, TDCAA, MADD)

• Web based software system reduces time officers spend on DWI paperwork by 50%

• Developed with input from officers and prosecutors

• Simplifies completing mandatory state forms and allows for easy review by prosecutors

• LEADRS is grant funded through the TxDOT

Public Information and Education

Public Information & Education

• Public Information & Educational Materials• The role of public information & educational

materials is to make the public aware of traffic safety issues, practices and their benefits.

• PI & E activities support and compliment the activities of other programs by:– Promoting compliance with laws & enhancing

enforcement efforts.– Building public support for programs.– Informing motorists of safe driving habits.

Public Information & Education

EDUCATIONAL & PROMOTIONAL• Educational:

– Materials that educates & informs an audience.– Includes items as activity books, coloring books, brochures,

posters, flyers, bumper stickers, etc.• Promotional:

– Materials that promotes, supports, or enhances efforts. These materials include key chains, on-board signs, mugs, pencils, magnets, litter bags, etc.

• Samples of materials are provided at the traffic safety table. All samples are free and you may obtain materials through the TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist in their respective Districts.

TEXAS MOVE OVER LAW

Move Over LawTC 545.157 Passing Authorized Emergency Vehicle

Slow Down or Change Lanes for Stopped Emergency Vehicles                                                                                                                                                                                

• The law states a driver must either vacate the lane closest to the stopped emergency vehicle if the road has multiple lanes traveling in the same direction or slow down 20 miles per hour below the speed limit.  (If the speed limit is below 25 mph the driver must slow down to 5 mph.)

• Emergency vehicles include:               POLICE              EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE              FIRE VEHICLES•  A violation is punishable by a maximum fine of $200.  If the violation

results in property damage, the maximum fine increases to $500.  If the violation results in bodily injury, the offense is enhanced to a Class B misdemeanor.

         

Texas Occupant Restraint Laws Relevant Statutes:

Vernon's Texas Statutes and Codes Annotated Transportation Code

Child Safety Seats and Seat Belts LAWS and EXCEPTIONS

The LawChapter 545. Operation and movement of vehicles.

• Sec. 545.412.  Child passenger safety seat systems; Offense.

• (A) A person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle, transports a child who is younger than five years of age and less than 36 inches in height, and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety seat system.

• (B) an offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.

The Exception• (c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the

person was operating the vehicle in an emergency or for a law enforcement purpose.

• (d) Use or nonuse of a child passenger safety seat system is not admissible evidence in a civil trial, other than a proceeding under Subtitle A or B, Title 5, Family Code.

• (e) This section does not apply to a person:• (1) operating a vehicle transporting passengers for hire

including third party transport service providers when transporting clients pursuant to a contract to provide non emergency Medicaid transportation; or

• (2) transporting a child in a vehicle in which all seating positions equipped with child passenger safety seat systems or safety belts are occupied.

Exception (cont.)

• Sec. 545.4121. Defense; Possession of child passenger safety seat system.

• (A) this section applies to an offense committed under section 545.412.

• (B) it is a defense to prosecution of an offense to which this section applies that the defendant provides to the court evidence satisfactory to the court that the defendant possesses an appropriate child passenger safety seat system for each child required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under section 545.412(a).

The LawTC 545.413.  Safety Belts; Offense

(a) A person commits an offense if the person:(1) is at least 15 years of age

(2) is riding in the front seat of a passenger vehicle  while the vehicle is being operated;

(3) is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt and

(4) is not secured by a safety belt.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person:(1) operates a passenger vehicle that is equipped with safety belts; and

(2) allows a child who is younger than 17 years of age and who is not required to be secured in a child passenger safety seat system under Section 545.412(a) to ride in the vehicle without requiring the child to be secured by a safety belt, provided the child is occupying a seat that is equipped with a safety belt.

The Law (cont.)

• (c)  A passenger vehicle  or a seat in a passenger vehicle  is considered to be equipped with a safety belt if the vehicle is required under Section 547.601 to be equipped with safety belts.

• (d) An offense under Subsection (a)  is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $50.  An offense under Subsection (b) is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 or more than $200.

The Exception • (e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:• (1) the person possesses a written statement from a

licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person should not wear a safety belt;

• (2) the person presents to the court, not later than the 10th day after the date of the offense, a statement from a licensed physician stating that for a medical reason the person should not wear a safety belt;

• (3) the person is employed by the United States Postal Service and performing a duty for that agency that requires the operator to service postal boxes from a vehicle or that requires frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;

Exception (cont.)• (4) the person is engaged in the actual delivery of

newspapers from a vehicle or is performing newspaper delivery duties that require frequent entry into and exit from a vehicle;

• (5) the person is employed by a public or private utility company and is engaged in the reading of meters or performing a similar duty for that company requiring the operator to frequently enter into and exit from a vehicle; or

• (6) The person is operating a commercial vehicle registered as a farm vehicle under the provisions of Section 502.163 that does not have a gross weight, registered weight, or gross weight rating of 48,000 pounds or more.

Youth Alcohol Programs

106.02. PURCHASE OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR.

• (a) A minor commits an offense if the minor purchases an alcoholic beverage. A minor does not commit an offense if the minor purchases an alcoholic beverage under the immediate supervision of a commissioned peace officer engaged in enforcing the provisions of this code.

106.025. ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE ALCOHOL BY A

MINOR.

• (a) A minor commits an offense if, with specific intent to commit an offense under Section 106.02 of this code, the minor does an act amounting to more than mere preparation that tends but fails to effect the commission of the offense intended.

106.04. CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR.

• (a) A minor commits an offense if he consumes an alcoholic beverage.

• (b) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the alcoholic beverage was consumed in the visible presence of the minor's adult parent, guardian, or spouse.

106.041. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL BY

MINOR.

• (a) A minor commits an offense if the minor operates a motor vehicle in a public place while having any detectable amount of alcohol in the minor's system. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

106.05. POSSESSION OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR.

• (a) Except as provided in Subsection (b) of this section, a minor commits an offense if he possesses an alcoholic beverage.

• (b) A minor may possess an alcoholic beverage: (1) while in the course and scope of the minor's employment if the minor is an employee of a licensee or permittee and the employment is not prohibited by this code;

• (2) if the minor is in the visible presence of his adult parent, guardian, or spouse, or other adult to whom the minor has been committed by a court; or

• (3) if the minor is under the immediate supervision of a commissioned peace officer engaged in enforcing the provisions of this code.

106.07. MISREPRESENTATION OF AGE BY A MINOR.

• (a) A minor commits an offense if he falsely states that he is 21 years of age or older or presents any document that indicates he is 21 years of age or older to a person engaged in selling or serving alcoholic beverages.

Youth Alcohol Statistics• More than five million high school students binge drink at

least once a month• The gender gap in alcohol consumption that for generations

separated girls and boys has disappeared among younger teens: male and female ninth graders are just as likely to drink (40 percent vs. 41 percent) and to binge drink (22 percent vs. 20 percent).

• 83 percent of adults who drink had their first drink of alcohol before age 21.

• Individuals who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who begin drinking at age 21.

The prevalence of lifetime alcohol abuse is greatest for those who begin drinking at age 14.

Stats (cont.)

• One-third of sixth and ninth graders obtain alcohol from their own homes.

• Children cite other people's homes as the most common setting for drinking.

• Four out of every five (80%) students have consumed alcohol (more than a few sips) by the end of high school.

• Two-thirds of twelfth graders report having been drunk.

Behind the Wheel• 6,200 teens die per year in car crashes• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death

for persons aged 15 to 19 years old. • Four out of every 10 teenagers that die in this country

are killed in a motor vehicle crash. • For every teen that is killed in a motor vehicle crash,

19 are seriously injured. • On average, a teenager is injured every 15 minutes

in a motor vehicle crash in the United States. • One in five of all Americans, ages 16-20, drove under

the influence of drugs or alcohol last year. • From 1998-2002, there was an estimated 300,000

crashes due to cell phone use while driving.

What’s being done?

TxDOT fiscal year 2007:

• 25 Programs funded for alcohol and other drug countermeasures $6,273,960.00– Travis County Underage Drinking Prevention– Brazos County Underage Drinking Enforcement– City of El Paso Underage Drinking Initiative– MADD Community Action to reduce alcohol crashes in

Harris County– San Antonio “Fiesta Safe, Drive Sober”– Sherry Matthews Marketing Adult Drinker PI&E

• 100+ Law Enforcement Agencies funded for Police Traffic Services $16,000,000.00