17-County Coalition Works to Reduce Roadway Fatalities

AMARILLO – Vision Zero is a coalition spearheaded by TxDOT's Amarillo District and when it began in November 2016, it only included Potter and Randall counties and the City of Amarillo. Since then, it has expanded to include the top 17 counties that comprise the Amarillo District.

Vision Zero helps support the Texas Transportation Commission’s Road to Zero goal – a goal of having zero deaths on Texas roadways by 2050, and to cut the number of fatalities in half by 2035. The Road to Zero campaign uses strategies from the Texas Highway Safety Plan. November 7, 2000 was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.

In addition to TxDOT representatives, stakeholders include county judges, law enforcement officials, justices of the peace, the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, cities, hospitals, schools, transportation partners and local EMS.

At the September meeting, the coalition heard from David Elizalde, who, along with his family, established Andrea’s Project – a grassroots coalition dedicated to educating the community that it’s not okay to drink and drive. The coalition was formed following the death of Elizalde’s daughter, Andrea. She died in April 2019 in an wreck involving underage drinking. He shared a YouTube video documentary that illustrates how the loss of life impacts not only family and friends, but first responders, police, fire, EMTs, and even tow truck drivers.

“As we continue to focus more of our efforts and resources on the Road to Zero, it is important to understand causes and trends behind traffic fatalities in the Amarillo District,” says Amarillo District Engineer Blair Johnson. “There have been 282 fatalities in our District from January 2018 to August 2021 and alcohol is one of the major factors in the loss of more than a quarter of those lives lost.”

This year alone, there have been 53 fatalities from January through mid-September. Here’s a look at how the stats stack up from 2018 to August 2021:

• 29.1 percent of fatalities involved unrestrained occupants
• 28.0 percent of fatalities involved DUI-Drugs and Alcohol
• 31.9 percent of fatalities were single vehicle run off the road
• 12.1 percent involved distracted driving
• 65.2 percent of fatalities occurred in rural areas
• 23.4 percent of fatalities occurred at an intersection
• 18.1 percent of fatalities involved a head on collision
• 12.1 percent of fatalities were speed related

“We’re emphasizing engineering, education, and enforcements in our efforts as they are proven methods in reducing crashes,” Johnson says.

LaViza Matthews, traffic safety specialist for the Amarillo District, says a fourth E – Emergency Medical Service (EMS) – is coming into the fold, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“All four of these ‘Es’ are considered when coming up with strategies to reduce traffic fatalities,” Matthews says. “EMS are typically the first responders in car crashes and the better response, the better outcome.”

Both Johnson and Matthews say that the “Four Es” will go a long way in reducing traffic fatalities. However, the Road to Zero will not be reached until drivers become true partners in TxDOT’s efforts to improve safety and reduce fatalities on Texas roadways to zero.

“While TxDOT designs safety elements into every highway project, the driver must take personal responsibility,” Johnson says. “Law enforcement officials tell us continually that most crashes they respond to are preventable. Buckle up, drive the appropriate speed and put down the distractions.”