Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Every day for the past 24 years someone has died on a Texas roadway. Every. Single. Day.
On the anniversary of the last deathless day on Nov. 7, 2000, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) are working together to share safe driving messages in hopes to finally end this deadly streak.
The two agencies are joining forces because ending fatal crashes takes all of us. TxDOT is working to engineer safety solutions and educate drivers on safe practices while DPS enforces the laws of the road. However, drivers are the most important partners, which is why DPS troopers will be handing out tip cards during traffic stops to encourage safe driving behaviors.
“After more than two decades, it’s long past time to end the streak of daily deaths on our roadways, but it’ll take all of us to get it done,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “Each life lost is a mother, father, brother, sister or friend, and we need to work together to make sure everyone can get home safely.”
Last year, 4,289 people were killed on Texas roads, and so far in 2024, Texas is averaging 10 roadway deaths a day.
Some of the top causes of crashes make up part of the card that troopers will hand out for two weeks starting Nov. 7. The messages include:
• Drive safe speeds
• Buckle up
• Move over or slow down
• Get a sober ride
• Avoid distractions
Lives instantly altered
Since Nov. 7, 2000, more than 87,000 people have been killed on Texas roads.
One life lost was Aspen Blessing, a vibrant 18-year-old who was killed in March after her car was struck head-on by a drunk driver in Callahan County. Forever changed by one person’s choice to drink and drive, her family is left with a massive void.
“The hardest part is that Aspen did everything right,” said Jen Blessing, Aspen’s mother. “She was not speeding. She was wearing her seatbelt. She wasn’t distracted. One man’s bad choice cost Aspen, our family and his family everything.”
Blessing and her family are working with TxDOT to help prevent other families from suffering a similar tragedy.
Roadway safety improvements
TxDOT is committed to enhancing safety on roads throughout the state, investing $17 billion in safety improvements through the state’s 10-year plan. TxDOT also works tirelessly to developsafety innovations that can have significant impacts.
One improvement implemented this year in Fort Worth uses cameras to identify pedestrians on major roadways, targeting areas where people have been hit after trying to cross. It detects them early on, notifies law enforcement and helps them respond before they step out on the road. This has led to a drop in pedestrian crashes on these highways since they were installed in January. It’s just one example of the many innovative and engineering improvements TxDOT makes every year.
Deadly streak nearly ends
In January, Texas experienced one day with just one traffic fatality caused by a driver running a stop sign.
“A single life lost is too many, but this shows us that it can be done,” said TxDOT Deputy Executive Director Brandye Hendrickson. “We’ve been close a few times in recent years. Safety is paramount when we design, build and maintain roads, and it also must be the top priority when we’re driving on them.”
We can all do our part to #EndTheStreakTX of daily deaths.
LOCAL STATS:
· In the Pharr District in 2023, there were 27,218 traffic crashes, resulting in 138 fatalities and 639 serious injuries.
How is TxDOT working with law enforcement?
- DPS troopers will be handing out flyers during traffic stops to encourage safe driving behaviors.
- The messages include:
- Drive safe speeds
- Buckle up
- Move over or slow down
- Get a sober ride
- Avoid distractions
- DPS will hand out flyers for two weeks beginning Nov. 7.
- The messages include:
What can drivers do?
- Be the driver you want next to you, or the one driving your kid or mom or dad home.
- Most crashes are due to driver error, so we need the help of drivers to end fatal crashes with a few simple driving habits: wear seatbelts, drive the speed limit, put away the phone and other distractions, and never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Because #EndTheStreakTX is a social media, grassroots and word-of-mouth effort, Texans are being asked to do any or all of the following to raise awareness:
- Make—and encourage others to make—safer driving decisions on the road.
- Post pictures on social media with a downloadable sign (available at www.endthestreaktx.com) displaying the hashtag #EndTheStreakTX
- Share personal stories of loved ones who have been lost in a crash and use the hashtag #EndTheStreakTX
- Follow @txdot social media pages and share the content we post.
Particular areas of concern?
- Most traffic crashes are preventable – they are caused by our mistakes, like driving at unsafe speeds, texting and driving or drinking and driving.
- The biggest driving mistakes that cause most people to die in Texas by order are:
- Failure to drive in a single lane
- Drunk driving
- Pedestrian failed to yield to vehicle
- Driving at unsafe speeds
- The biggest driving mistakes that cause most people to die in Texas by order are:
Failure to follow Texas’ Move Over or Slow Down law has also led to preventable crashes and fatalities.
- In 2022, there were 237 crashes involving drivers failing to move over and slow down for vehicles displaying emergency lights, and in 2023 there were 363.
- Seven people were killed in crashes involving drivers failing to move over and slow down for vehicles displaying emergency lights in 2022, and three were killed in 2023.
Is ending the streak even possible?
- Yes.
- We have come close before. On a day in January of this year, only one traffic fatality was recorded. It was a preventable crash. There was also a single-death day recorded in February 2023. One life lost is still one too many.
- It will take every single driver doing their part to end the streak.
Other Texas stats:
- Population is 29,145,505 (2020 Census)
- Licensed drivers are 23.7 million (2019 Texas Comptroller’s Office)
