Truck Accident Lawyers Blog
Ford and Laurel Attorneys at Law, San Antonio 4/15/14
The staggering growth in the Eagle Shale area of South Texas has brought with it new challenges to road safety.
In a recent article in Forbes magazine, “The Blessing That Is the Eagle Ford Shale”, the economic boom in Texas is described in terms of capital investment: “According to a report released by the Wood Mackenzie firm in early January, Eagle Ford is now the largest oil and gas development on the face of the earth based on total capital expenditures” (Blackmon 2013). Currently, that means Texas is producing 30% of America’s domestic oil production, according to David Blackmon in Forbes magazine. It is no surprise that the region is overwhelmed.
The serious problem with this economic “blessing” is the unprecedented effect it is having on local area roads, once home to little rural towns not prepared to handle the new traffic patterns.
If you drive near the area, you probably have noticed the truck traffic and congestion that has become commonplace in the area. This month mySA reported that deadly crashes keep adding up. Eagle Shale and local officials responded by calling for additional road safety strategies, all to reduce the high number of Truck Accidents.
The sudden growth in traffic comes as no shock, given the oil boom bringing thousands of new workers to the area. According to research for the University of Texas at San Antonio, Eagle Ford produced over 61 billion in revenue in 2012 alone, with an increase of 116,000 jobs. The change from a rural, slow-paced region to a congested truck thruway, has hit hard, and road safety has become a very real concern for drivers in the area. Staying informed is a priority for motorists driving through the area.
Here is some data about traffic accidents in Eagle Shale:
In 2013 alone, 3,430 traffic crashes were recorded with fatalities and serious injuries, according to TxDOT, Sanford Nolin a reporter for The San Antonio Business Journal. In 2012, that number was nearly 3000 (Sharon Ko, Ken5News). This data suggests that the trend has remained steady or growing despite intervention efforts.
According to Jennifer Hiller, a staff writer of the San Antonio Express News, motorists should be aware that most accidents actually happen during the day, with the most unsafe hours around 9am and 5pm.
According to the Eagle Ford Shale website, in response to the growing problem of increasing Truck Accidents, the Texas Oil & Gas Association has partnered with Texas Mutual Insurance and TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) focusing on education initiatives aimed at spreading awareness of safe driving tips including, TXDOT $1.2 million ‘Be Safe. Drive Smart.” Campaign. Truck driver training is also a priority of Eagle Shale.
Devorah Fox, president of Mike Byrnes and Associates and a blogger for Eagle Shale, suggests some excellent driving tips for people driving through the area that may not understand the nature of truck driving including:
-Avoiding tailgating.
-Leaving room for Rollback as trucks may need more room to stop.
-Allowing room for wide turns on the right lane.
-Be careful of turbulence while passing a large vechile.
-Avoiding distractions, such as cell phones.
-Leaving 5-10 seconds of following space. Trucks take three times the distance to stop.
-Leaving one second for each ten feet of vehicle length, plus another if traveling over 40miles an hour.
-Avoiding quick lane changes that may cause the truck trailer to “Crack the whip” and swing out dangerously.
The seriousness of the matter is not lost, and transportation officials are working diligently to address needed road improvements caused by the heavy traffic and make the public aware of the problem through education campaigns. According to Hailey Konnath of the Houston Chronicle, local communities are working together with drilling companies to reach a solution to the growing concerns.
If you have been the victim of a traffic accident in the area and have been injured due to some others negligence call the Truck accident Attorneys at Ford and Laurel in San Antonio
www.fordandlaurel.com