Traffic Tips 2006

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Traffic Tips 2006

• From the Texas Municipal Courts
• Education Center

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How many times a day do you break a traffic law?

• Have you ever left your wallet at home during a
  quick trip to mail a letter?
• Do you ever creep out into an intersection while
  waiting to make a left turn?
• Have you ever looked at your windshield and
  realized your registration or inspection sticker
  was overdue?
• Have you ever forgotten to wear your safety belt?

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Breaking traffic laws may be easy, but resulting
traffic accidents are the leading cause of death
for people 3 to 33 years old.
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In 2005, national traffic fatalities involved the
following factors

• Alcohol (39)
• Speeding (38)
• Youthful drivers (24)
• Older drivers (15)
• Large trucks (12)

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How can we raise awareness?

• Texas Legislature must pass workable laws
  criminalizing traffic offenses
• Texas police officers must stringently enforce
  traffic laws
• Texas municipal courts must properly adjudicate
  traffic law violators
• City government and state agencies must
  effectively disseminate information to the
  general public

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Lets check out some practical traffic tips
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Bicycles

• Cyclists must obey the same rules of the road as
  other vehicle operators Ch. 551, Transportation
  Code
• Encourage your city officials to pass local
  ordinances requiring protective headgear to be
  worn while biking in your city.
• Allow 3 feet of clearance when passing a bicycle
  and yield to bikes at intersections
• Riders should wear reflective or brightly colored
  clothing to increase visibility.

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Motorcycles

• Motorcyclists must wear helmets unless they are
  over 21 years of age and have either
• Completed a motorcycle safety course OR
• Maintain proof of health insurance with a minimum
  of 10,000 coverage for injuries resulting from a
  motorcycle crash
• Motorcyclists should avoid the center of the lane
  where debris and oil tend to accumulate

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Highway Driving

• Obeying the speed limit means adjusting your
  speed to the current conditions, Sec. 545.351,
  Transportation Code
• When passing a stopped emergency vehicle with
  lights flashing, you must attempt to move one
  lane away from the vehicle, and reduce speed to
  20 miles below the posted speed limit, Sec.
  545.157, Transportation Code
• To test if you are maintaining a safe following
  distance, you should be able to count two full
  seconds after the vehicle in front of you passes
  a fixed object

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Seat belts

• Front-seat safety belt usage can reduce incidence
  of death during a traffic accident by 50
• 3 out of 4 people who are ejected from a vehicle
  during a collision are killed
• Lap belts should fit snugly across the hips, not
  over the stomach
• Shoulder belts go over the shoulder and across
  the center of the chest. Never tuck one under
  your arm or behind your back.

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Safety Seats

• Have your local law enforcement instruct citizens
  on proper safety seat installation
• Do not move your child out of a safety seat
  system until he or she has outgrown the seats
  height or weight limit
• Always secure safety seat chest clips even with
  the childs underarms, and fasten harness straps
  snugly against the body
• Children under 12 should sit in the rear seat to
  avoid the possible force of a deploying air bag

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Cellular Telephones

• One in four crashes is due to a distracted driver
• Teens under 18 may not use a cell phone while
  driving during the 6 month period after they
  first become licensed drivers, Sec. 545.424,
  Transportation Code
• Passenger bus drivers may not use a cell phone
  while driving a bus carrying a minor passenger
  unless the bus is stopped or in an emergency,
  Sec. 545.425, Transportation Code

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Railroad Crossings

• Death is 40 times more likely to occur in a
  collision with a train than an automobile
• You must stop at train tracks if a train is
  visible and hazardously close, or if signal
  devices are flashing or crossing arms are
  lowered, Sec. 545.251, Transportation Code
• Never stop directly on train tracks. A train
  traveling 50 mph needs a mile and a half to
  completely stop

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Flash Floods

• Flash flooding is the leading cause of
  weather-related deaths in Texas
• Vehicles may float in as little as 6 inches of
  water
• It is illegal to disobey, move, tamper with, or
  drive around barriers blocking low-water
  crossings, Sec. 472.021, 472.022, Transportation
  Code

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Pedestrians and
School Buses

• Always yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, Sec.
  552.002, 552.003, Transportation Code
• Always stop for school buses discharging or
  receiving students, regardless of whether you are
  behind the bus or approaching it, Sec. 545.066,
  Transportation Code
• Let passengers exit your vehicle on the curb-side
  of the street

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Work Zones

• One in three work zone crashes is a rear-end
  collision. Attention is key!
• Fines may double for moving violations committed
  in work zones while workers are present, Sec.
  542.404, Transportation Code
• Merge at the first sign of lane closure
• Warning signs indicate unexpected conditions, and
  they may be yellow or orange, and are usually
  shaped as diamonds, pentagons, or circles

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Stay safe on Texas roads!