Ahead of holiday travel season, TxDOT urges drivers to pay attention
AUSTIN, Texas — North Texas Tollway Authority worker Joseph Andrews began a June day out on the side of the highway, picking up debris. An instant later, however, he was on the ground, next to the guardrail, wondering what happened.
A car trying to exit at the last minute slammed into the back of his NTTA truck, but somehow he survived. Now, Andrews is pleading with the public to use what this video captured as a reminder of the importance of paying attention while driving.
"We have families at home, also. We'd like to go home to them everyday, just like you go home to them every day," Andrews said.
TxDOT shared this video on social media Wednesday, right before the holiday travel season begins, with Thanksgiving two weeks away.
According to AAA, almost 4 million Texans will be traveling this Thanksgiving by car, a jump compared to other times of the year.
This means more chances for first responders and TxDOT road crews to be in harm's way by people not paying attention on the highway.
"First responders and TxDOT crews, our HERO drivers, they're out there risking their lives every day on the roadways. The highway is one of the most dangerous places to work because you have really heavy vehicles moving at high speeds. That's never a safe environment for anybody on the side of the road. We try to take all the precautions we can, but we need drivers to pay attention," said TxDOT's Brad Wheelis. "If you're traveling down the roadway and see those flashing blue lights, you need to move over a lane. If you can't do that because of heavy traffic - we see that a lot here in the Austin area - then you need to slow down to 20 miles below the posted speed limit. This isn't a request. This is the law."
This law was passed in 2003 and amended years later to include road crews.
Austinites who will be driving over the next few months say the video TxDOT shared is a reminder of just how quickly things can turn tragic if drivers don't pay attention.
"One second you could be on the road, on the highway, and another second you could be flying off the overhang," said Johnnie McBryde.
TxDOT is gearing up their message for their "Be Safe. Drive Smart." and "End the Streak" campaigns as more drivers are expected to be on the roads.
This past weekend marked a 20-year streak of having at least one death on Texas roads every day. The concern this time of year is more cars on the road means more chances at deadly wrecks.
"We never waiver from this message: Don't drive distracted. A distraction could be a number of things: It could be glancing down at your phone, fiddling with the radio, putting in a GPS coordinate, even talking and laughing with people in the car can take your focus off the roadway. When you think about this, you're traveling in a vehicle that weighs anywhere from 3,500 upwards of 5,000-6,000 pounds. You really need to pay attention," Wheelis said. "We have a lot of TxDOT workers in the work zones that are near-misses, and that's not just good enough. We need folks to pay attention. Move over, or slow down."
Wheelis said drivers can expect more law enforcement on the side of roads, as they enforce their "Click it or ticket" campaign.
In addition to watching out for officers, TxDOT officials want to remind Texans they also need to pay attention to other drivers on the road.
"You really need to be vigilant. Be on your guard, because you may not be distracted while driving, but the person next to you in that vehicle may be distracted. You always need to be aware of your surroundings, always look for a way out in case someone slams on the brakes or a vehicle moves into your lane," Wheelis said.