Earlier this week, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced that the rate of fatal car accidents in the state declined by 11 percent in 2009. This translates into roughly 388 fewer fatalities on Texas' many roads, highways and freeways.

What is behind this rather impressive decline in the number of fatal car accidents?

Experts agree that both increased funding to improve road safety and statewide public safety/public awareness campaigns are the primary reasons behind the drop in fatalities.

The funding for improving Texas' roads and highways comes primarily from the Texas Safety Bond Program. The bond program utilizes 20 percent of available funds from Proposition 14.

Approved by voters in 2003, Proposition 14 revenue bonds are secured and ultimately repaid by the State Highway Fund, which includes vehicle registration fees and fuel taxes.

To date, TxDOT has spent more than $1.2 billion on highway improvement projects designed to reduce crashes.

According to Deirdre Delisi, the Texas Transportation Commission Chair, "Texas has been fortunate enough to have the money for highway safety improvements ... Part of the requirement for the Proposition 14 bonds was that we apply a portion of the funding to safety projects. Our legislative partners asked us to do this - we did and the result has been phenomenal."

The Texas Transportation Institute projects that the funds used to make Texas' roads safer over the last several years could save up to 1,800 lives and prevent 21,000 injuries over the course of the next 20 years.

Some of the safety improvements made by TxDOT include:

  • Adding left turn lanes on busy thoroughfares
  • Installing concrete/cable barriers in highway medians
  • Widening narrow two-lane roads
  • Creating highway exchanges

Gov. Rick Perry was encouraged by the latest statistics.

"This is great news for Texans, and evidence that the resources we've put into safety projects across the state are paying dividends in lives saved. Every life saved on our highways is another birthday for someone, another holiday season, and another family spared the pain of losing a loved one too soon." 

Related Resources:
  
• Safer Roads Contribute to Significant Drop in Highway Fatalities (Texas Department of Transportation)