TTI conducted a Motorist Survey on Texas Traffic Accident Laws and Traffic Safety for TxDOT during the 1994 Houston Auto Show. The purpose of the survey was to obtain public behaviour and knowledge regarding traffic safety and Texas laws pertaining to traffic accidents. Six hundred eleven (611) surveys were completed by volunteers during the nine-day period of the show. The results of the survey are discussed in this report. Respondents were asked five questions regarding drivers and traffic accidents and seven questions regarding Texas traffic accident laws. They were also asked to answer specific questions regarding age, education, ethnic background, and driving experience. The survey demographics were compared to representative regional population statistics of the Houston metropolitan area. (1) This comparison indicated that survey respondents were over-represented by males, whites, and individuals from ages 25 to 54. The five accident questions covered minor accident involvement, behaviour after such accidents, and driver awareness of the “Move It” advertising campaign developed by TxDOT. Thirty-six percent (36%) of respondents said they have had a minor accident on a freeway in which no one was injured and all involved vehicles could be moved. An overwhelming 89% of respondents said they have seen such accidents on the freeway. Of those respondents who have been in minor accidents, 84% said that the involved parties moved their vehicles off of the freeway to exchange information. Only 18% of respondents knew of the “Move It” advertising campaign, 33% of whom had heard of it via television commercials. When asked to identify when one does not have to call the police when involved in a traffic accident, 57% of respondents correctly answered that police do not have to respond to accidents in which no parties are injured, when vehicles can be moved, and when damage to any one vehicle is less than $500. When asked if vehicles involved in minor accidents on freeways have to be moved if possible, 79% of respondents correctly answered yes, while 68% knew that a driver can be fined for taking such action. Ninety-four percent (94%) of those responding to the survey knew that drivers must exchange the following information when involved in an accident: name, address, driver license number, license plate number, and liability insurance policy carrier and number. Seventy-one percent (71%) of respondents knew that accident report forms are available at local police departments and the Department of Public Safety. It is apparent that drivers are aware of most Texas laws governing minor accidents on urban freeways. Whether or not they obey those laws whenever driving is uncertain. The threat of legal repercussions and the reality of insurance claims certainly affect their behaviour. More research may be needed to further clarify this behaviour. However, informing the driver of Texas laws is a key to changing their behaviour when they are involved in minor accidents on urban freeways. Such behaviour can transfer into decreased congestion, a reduction in lost time to other drivers, and less pollution. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting