Any graduate of a Texas defensive driving course will tell you that the material focused on limiting distractions. That means no cell phones, no applying makeup, no eating and nothing else other than trying to keep your eyes on the road and your mind on the business at hand. Any former chemistry student can also tell you that mixing chemicals is serious business, where having the wrong ratios in lab experiment can lead to fires,…

When the Texas state legislature first passed it, the law governing motorists who ran up traffic offenses and the fines they would have to pay seemed like a good idea. Get those to break the law to pay for some of the expenses and the state would be able to fund more enforcement or other traffic safety projects. It didn’t quite work out that way. The office at the Department of Public Safety has said…

Defensive driving is a must in Texas, just as it is in other states. But some families are finding that the law could do a bit more to keep potentially dangerous offenders off the road as well. That’s the case for Abdallah Khader, a three-year-old from Arlington who is now in a persistent vegetative state thanks to an accident caused by a repeat DWI offender. His parents are calling for changes to be made to…

We know that this blog has been taking a stand against drivers who use their cell phone while they’re driving. It’s an issue big enough that the Texas Department of Public Safety joined others in lauding Oprah Winfrey’s “No Phone Zone” that she proposed on a recent show. But if you practice online defensive driving, there’s another aspect of how you operate your vehicle that can have a serious effect on your safety. Remember that…

Prosecutors in Harris County are seeking changes in laws regarding drivers who leave the scene of an accident in the Houston area, a city that sees millions of drivers. If they succeed, points and jail time could be the result for people who don’t wait.District Attorney Patricia Lykos and Assistant District Attorney Scott Durfee are calling for sanctions via the state legislature that would up the fines and penalties, currently the equivalent of a traffic…

Some people in Texas see the problems with texting while driving, and are promoting a unique way to deal with it. Jeanne and Johnny Brown live in Wellman, and when their daughter lost her life when her truck rolled over in November 2009, the pair looked for answers. They found out that Alex, 17, had been texting before the crash occurred. They have begun traveling in the Southwest, including a recent trip to Oklahoma City,…

Don’t like red light cameras? You’re not alone. Everyone from scientists to personal privacy advocates have called attention to the systems, which are generally run by private companies who contract with local police departments. The good news is that in places like El Paso, the fines are considered civil violations. The bad news: they sometimes get the wrong person. One woman told a local television station that while she drives a black four-door car, the…

The rising temperatures and reduced precipitation mean two things: convertible owners are taking their cars out of the garage and from under covers, and motorcycle riders are riding more frequently. Like slick roads during the winter months and snow in northern states, the advent of bikes and “hogs” on the road requires a new diligence that can be difficult for drivers who are used to their daily commute. “When you are in a car or…

Scammers and Your Traffic Ticket If you have received a recent traffic citation, you may decide to take an online defensive driving course in order to clear your Texas driving record. Or you may just want to pay the fine and risk having your auto insurance rates increase as a result. However, what you simply cannot do is give out your personal or payment information to scammers who are pretending to represent the Texas Department…

Today, reducing distracted driving seems to be a priority to legislators. Texting bans seem to be coming up in more and more US states. Recently Maine became the 33rd state to outlaw texting, but what you may not know is that Maine already had a ‘distracted driving’ law in place prior to the texting ban. In September 2011, the new law applies to texting while driving and violators can face $100 fines. The Governor of…