DPS, TxDOT share safety message for local, state drivers News Staff Fri, 04/05/2024 - 2:05 pm
- (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) DPS Sergeant Juan Gutierrez speaks Tuesday, April 2 with the Rotary Club of Graham to share safety tips for drivers. Gutierrez was joined by TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist Tish Beaver.
- (THOMAS WALLNER | THE GRAHAM LEADER) TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist Tish Beaver speaks Tuesday, April 2 with the Rotary Club of Graham to share safety tips for drivers. Beaver was joined by DPS Sergeant Juan Gutierrez.
Thomas Wallner editor@grahamleader.com
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Department of Transportation joined together to share a message this week in Graham of maintaining driver safety.
DPS Sergeant Juan Gutierrez and TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist Tish Beaver met Tuesday, April 2 with the Rotary Club of Graham to present statistics regarding the major issues their departments face on roadways throughout the state.
“We actually have not seen a deathless day in Texas since Nov. 7, 2000. So it’s almost 24 years now that we’ve not had a death in a day on Texas roads,” Gutierrez said.
The DPS sergeant said that in 2022, 4,481 people died in crashes on Texas roadways, with the most common factors being speed, seatbelts, intoxication and distractions. In the same year, 53% of those killed in crashes were not wearing seatbelts.
Seatbelts increase chances of survival by 45% and reduce the likelihood of being critically injured by 50%.
“Statistically, what we’re seeing throughout the years it’s about the same percentage (not using a seatbelt). Nothing is changing. It is still the same,” Gutierrez said. “It kind of pulls at my heartstrings, for sure, because... we’re the ones that go out there and have to see this in real life and experience this and then have to make that knock on the door too.”
Gutierrez said he has had to inform many that they lost a loved one due to a wreck and said wearing a seat belt can be one of the easiest ways to help prevent deaths in certain crashes.
“Every couple of months we’re seeing more and more deaths (due to not wearing a seatbelt). ...When seatbelt laws were implemented it was kind of a shock to people who had to get used to it and so a lot of people wouldn’t wear it, ...but the reality is it’s everywhere,” he said. “I mean, from every generation (with) younger ones all the way to the more experienced drivers. It’s a common thing and it’s such an easy thing that we can do to prevent being killed in an accident.”
Along with not wearing a seatbelt, distractions are also a contributing factor for crashes in the state. In 2021, nearly 1 in 5 crashes was caused by a distracted driver, with 431 people dying in crashes due to distractions and 2,934 people being seriously injured.
“I think that we can all definitely help the statistics out by doing a couple of things. One (is) watching our speeds. I challenge you... when you are driving to try to go five (miles) under (the speed limit),” he said. “...Then also, try to do your best... (to) try to put that phone somewhere where maybe you can’t reach it so it’s not a distraction.”
For drivers who are age 21 and older, the legal blood-alcohol content limit is 0.08. According to the DPS sergeant, a BAC of 0.02 brings a loss of judgment, 0.05 a loss of small muscle control, 0.08 poor muscle coordination, 0.10 deterioration of reaction time and slow thinking, 0.15 less musical control and major loss of balance and 0.16 can induce alcohol blackout.
“There’s a lot that we’re doing when we’re driving that even at a low BAC, without really knowing it, will definitely affect your body,” Gutierrez said.
Much like alcohol, law enforcement will employ a series of tests if you are driving while under the influence of marijuana.
“We do the exact same test as far as the standard sobriety test... because what a drug will do, the same as alcohol, is going to impair your judgments and impair your lack of physical and mental faculties,” Gutierrez said. “So you’ll still see a lot of those same impairments with any other drug that you will have in alcohol when we perform these tests. They’ve actually added a couple of tests specifically for marijuana.”
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children, according to TxDOT. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 46% of all car seats are misused. TxDOT’s free safety seat inspections are available throughout the year.
“Those car seats and booster seats for kids... all the time are not very straightforward and simple,” Beaver said. “...We’re certified child passenger safety technicians and we can inspect your installation for you, we can make sure a kid is harnessed in properly if the kiddo is with you. We want all babies rear facing for a minimum of two years.”
Texas law requires that children younger than eight years old, unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches, be secured in a child safety seat.
To schedule a car seat check-up with a TxDOT Traffic Safety Specialist, visit savemewithaseat.org and enter your zip code to find the nearest TxDOT district office.
The TxDOT safety specialist said the trend is showing in the area that even though crashes are trending down, the severity of injuries due to crashes are increasing.
“There are very survivable crashes that are happening and they’re either ending up with incapacitating injuries, or fatal injuries in some cases,” Beaver said. “So while we do want to see the number of crashes coming down, we also need to bring down that severity of the injury not just for the other folks in the car, but ourselves as well.”
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