The pressures of COVID on driver psychology are contributing to a rise in disastrous outcomes on the Texas roadways, according to a professor at The University of Texas at Austin.
At this year’s annual Texas Transportation Forum, psychology professor Art Markman stressed to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) leaders and transportation stakeholders the urgency for reminding people and drivers that they are part of a community. Failing to do so, he said, would lead to myriad negative consequences, including negative consequences on the road.
More than 4,480 people were killed on Texas roads in 2021, making it the second deadliest year since TxDOT began tracking fatalities in 1940. The deadliest year on record was 1981 with 4,701 fatalities.
A total of 1,522 people were killed in 2021 because of speed, and a total of 1,219 people were killed because they were not wearing a seat belt, according to TxDOT.
TxDOT is using crash data to pinpoint areas where drivers are more prone to accidents and will be focused on improvements in those areas and sharing that data with the public.
With increased focus on engineering, enforcement, and the critical role drivers play in road safety, TxDOT leaders are aiming to end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roadways.