Harris County Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog

Texas is one of the few states with year-round walking weather. Despite its large land mass, more and more are "taking to the streets" as Harris residents decide to get a little healthier, save some money, go green or just get out and enjoy the nice weather. More pedestrians means a higher risk for fatal accidents when drivers aren't paying attention. 

That is why nonprofit, government and other agencies, including AARP support Global Road Safety Week this week, running from Monday, May 6 through Sunday, May 12. Safety week involves raising awareness about the number of pedestrian falalities and what government agencies and drivers can do to reduce the risk. 

The driver of a bus that overturned and crashed on an Irving interstate, killing two passengers at the scene and one passenger, who died later, has been attributed to the driver. The bus crash happened on April 11 when the bus veered off the road, struck a concrete barrier and flipped. The driver is reported to have said that he may have blacked out immediately prior to the crash.

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has issued a preliminary crash report that finds the driver was at fault. The DPS report did not find any mechanical failure, such as a blown tire, as a cause of the fatal bus accident. The DPS, however, noted that because this is a preliminary report, they might find other factors that could have contributed to the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with frequently investigates these types of accidents allowed the DPS to handle this investigation.

We discuss distracted driving a great deal, and a significant source of distraction is cell phone related. That is not the only, or the largest source of distraction, according to a report by an insurance company. They reviewed police data collected at crash scenes and complied by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in their Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

The report found that the largest cause of distraction for drivers was "lost in thought." Ten percent of all fatal motor vehicle accidents are caused by one or more distracted drivers. According to the Erie Insurance Group, 62 percent of distracted drivers were daydreaming when the accident occurred. Cellphone use was only attributed to 12 percent of the distracted drivers.

A horrific car accident occurred on Texas 105 last weekend outside of Houston, near Conroe, when pickup truck struck a car carrying a family of four from Cleveland. The force of the crash killed all of the people in the car, while the driver of the pickup was transported to the hospital by emergency personal in critical condition. The violence of the collision was underscored by the fact the engine was ripped from the truck and was left laying in the highway.

The crash occurred at 5:45 am on a rainy highway, although the preliminary statements made by the police indicated they had not determined the cause of the car accident, they had ruled out alcohol as a possible cause of the crash. The weather may have played a role in the accident, given the rain-slicked roads and the pre-dawn conditions, but other factors may have contributed.