‘See this every day’ anger drivers as new law with $10,000 fines comes into force – cars must obey strict 20mph policy

A ROADSIDE worker’s narrow escape while responding to a call was caught on camera, shocking viewers and reinforcing a new order.

The footage was just 0:44 seconds long, but the impact on viewers will last much longer.

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The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) published a clip from a worker’s dashboard camera footage to his Facebook page of a worker standing on the side of a highway, responding to a call.

He was removing debris from the far right lane just before an exit ramp.

A rear camera captured images of a black Mercedes sedan suddenly emerging from behind a large truck and crashing at full speed into the back of the worker’s truck.

“It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened,” the worker said.

“I had my back turned on the shoulder, on the side of the road, and I looked up and saw the guardrail to my right and I thought, ‘Man, I shouldn’t be here,’ and I looked to my left and there’s the back of the car. my truck.”

The worker was away from the truck when the impact occurred, both the agency and the worker pointed out that the accident could have been worse.

“You know, we have families and we wish we could go home to them every day,” he said.

The agency wrote a reminder to Texas to comply or pay.

“That’s why it’s the law to pass a lane or slow down 20 mph below the speed limit when you see maintenance crews or first responders on the road,” the video’s caption read.

“Always stay alert behind the wheel.”

The state of Texas recently announced an update to its “Move Over or Slow Down” law with stricter penalties for those who do not comply with the law.

As part of the update, the first offense for not moving or slowing down is $1,250.

Varying fees and misdemeanor charges, if applicable, can raise the fine up to $4,000 and land the driver in jail.

If a driver hits someone after a consecutive violation, the charge becomes a felony with two years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.

If drivers cannot pass through a lane, the law requires drivers to reduce the speed limit by 20 mph.

If roadwork is done on a street with a speed limit of 25 mph or less, drivers must reduce their speed to 5 mph.

Previously, the law only covered law enforcement and first responder vehicles, but now covers TxDOT vehicles, tow trucks, service vehicles and utility vehicles.

Texas work zone fatalities

TxDOT has five strategies to avoid causing an accident in the work zone

In Texas, more than 26,000 car accidents have occurred in TxDOT work zones, resulting in nearly 200 deaths and more than 800 serious injuries. Of these 190 deaths, 77% of the fatalities were drivers and their passengers, and two workers died.

The agency said speeding, distracted driving and lack of space for workers when merging lanes were the top three reasons for accidents in the work zone.

Here’s how Texans can avoid causing an accident:

1. Obey posted speed limits in work zones. The new law says drivers must slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit. If roads have a speed limit of 40 km/h or less, slow down to 8 km/h.
2. Avoid distractions. Pay attention when driving in an active work zone.
3. Move whenever possible to give workers space.
4. Be patient – ​​passing through work zones may take longer. Plan accordingly to avoid work zones when possible.

Source: TxDOT

“We are pleased that the Legislature recognizes the dangers our employees face every day as they work to maintain and build the state’s vast highway network,” TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson wrote in a press release.

“We are hopeful that this new protection for our crews will lead to fewer preventable deaths and injuries.”

On TxDOT’s website, the agency wrote that the purpose of the new limitations is to protect highway workers.

The last day there was no highway worker death in the Lone Star State was November 2000, urging Texans to “end the streak” of deaths.

‘POWERFUL VIDEO’

Viewers of the agency’s dashboard camera footage shocked viewers, with more than 80,000 viewers, nearly 40 comments, and nearly 400 reactions.

One of the top comments came from the city of Universal City’s Facebook page, stating the impact of the video.

“Powerful video,” they wrote.

“Thanks for sharing.”

Another viewer wrote that the driving behavior of the Mercedes driver is likely what led to the accident.

“They probably didn’t see the maintenance crew because of the tailgating of that pickup truck,” they wrote, getting six reactions from other viewers.

Someone wrote that, unfortunately, dangerous driving is not uncommon.

“I see this every day,” the comment read.

“The lights don’t mean anything anymore and people don’t know how to drive.”