Road Rage Leads to Violent Encounter on Austin Road

This January in Austin, a road rage incident turned ugly. While stopped at a traffic light on a heavily congested street, two men engaged in an armed fight. A fellow motorist took a video of the incident on his phone, and the incident is now being investigated by the Austin Police Department as an aggravated assault.

The 30 second video shows a visibly hot-tempered man approach a truck with a baseball bat in his hands. The other motorist then proceeds to grab a large wooden staff from the bed of his truck. After he grabbed the staff, he swings it at the man with the bat, and an intense exchange of blows ensues. The man who filmed the attack was laughing as he captured the incident, but he later told reporters that he was afraid that the driver of the pickup was going to retrieve a gun.

It’s not clear what started the fight, but sadly, road rage is nothing new to Texas drivers. While not all road rage incidents turn violent, there are some extreme cases where road rage can escalate resulting in injuries or even death. With a booming population and an ever-increasing traffic problem, incidents like this are starting to become more common. Hopefully this incident will remind drivers that they should take a deep breath and consider the possible consequences of road rage before engaging with another driver.

If you’ve been injured in a road rage incident, it’s extremely important to contact a personal injury attorney immediately in order to protect your rights. If you are looking for an Austin Car Accident Attorney contact Terry and Kelly, PLLC today at 512-900-9000 for a free consultation and case evaluation. We will help you obtain justice and compensation for any personal injuries or vehicle damages that were sustained.

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Rock Throwing Incidents Continue On I-35

Local and state officials are stepping up their efforts to identify those responsible for throwing rocks at vehicles traveling along Interstate 35 in and around Austin, TX. Approximately 60 rock-throwing incidents have been reported since June 2014, some of which have resulted in serious injuries.

At first it was believed that the rocks were being thrown from overpasses, which led the Austin Police Department to install cameras in the hopes of identifying the perpetrators. However, authorities now believe that the rocks are being thrown from other vehicles traveling in the opposite direction as the cars being struck. This makes identification of the perpetrators more difficult and, according to police, it may also expand the area where the attacks occur.

In order to deal with this new threat, motorists have been advised to drive in the far right lane of the highway during the night and to avoid the lower deck of I-35 whenever possible. Motorists have also been asked to notify police if they see objects being thrown from vehicles or if they are struck themselves. Notification should be made as soon as possible to increase the chance of the perpetrator being identified and apprehended.

The victims of these crimes should contact an Austin Car Accident Attorney immediately in order to determine their legal rights. An attorney may be able to help you obtain the financial compensation needed to deal with the physical and emotional trauma you may have experienced. If you have been the victim of a rock attack on I-35, contact Terry and Kelly, PLLC at 512-900-9000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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After Deadly Year Austin Joins National Vision Zero Program

After Austin experienced 102 traffic deaths in 2015, setting a new record, the city was included in the Vision Zero Focus Cities program, joining Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Getting its start in Sweden in October of 1997, Vision Zero is a national traffic safety program that tries to reduce or completely eliminate traffic fatalities. What makes Vision Zero different from other traffic safety efforts is that it puts primary emphasis on life and health, rather than making a cost-benefits analysis when deciding how to spend safety-related dollars.

The Vision Zero team, which is made up of city transportation and planning members, analyzed traffic crash data between 2010 and 2014 to determine what is causing traffic fatalities and compiled a list of recommendations for the city. However, the program got off to a slow start when the Public Safety Commission voted to only support 5 of the 100 recommendations put forth by Vision Zero. The approved changes include increased traffic enforcement, evaluations of local speed limits, more pedestrian safety signals, and impounding cars if the drivers had a suspended license or no license.

Vision Zero had also recommended more prosecution of drunk driving, adding a sobriety center, and installing more red-light cameras. But one commissioner complained that the plan was not “very well vetted” and was too complex to implement. “There are far too many moving parts,” he said. While another commissioner, who is also a Vision Zero task force member, also criticized the plan citing the high costs of implementation.

The efforts to make Austin safer for drivers and pedestrians are not proceeding very fast, so we urge everyone to stay alert while driving and to always find a safe drive home. However, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s extremely important to contact Austin Car Accident Attorney immediately in order to preserve certain legal rights. Call us today at 512-900-9000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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Austin Sends Uber, Lyft Fingerprint Mandate to Voters

After a lengthy battle in City Hall, voters in Austin, Texas will get the chance to decide whether drivers for Uber, Lyft and other transportation network companies (TNCs) need to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check in order to transport passengers. Voters will get to decide on May 7th in a special election that will cost between $500,000 and $800,000.

Back in December the Austin City Council approved an ordinance that would raise the franchise fee from 1% to 2% and would have eventually required all TNC drivers to pass a fingerprint-based background check. Since then a political action committee called “Ridesharing Works for Austin” collected signatures and submitted a petition with over 65,000 names complaining that the ordinance put undue pressure on the drivers for these and other transportation network companies.

The petition forced the city to either adopt the original regulations approved back in October 2014 by former Mayor Lee Leffingwell (which lacked any fingerprinting requirement and only collected a 1% franchise fee) or bring the issue to a vote. Uber and Lyft threatened to leave the city if they are forced to fingerprint background check their drivers.

Uber Technologies, Inc. was formed in 2009 in San Francisco as a smartphone app to allow riders to get a ride from local drivers, using their own vehicles. Now the company operates in over 50 countries and is worth upwards of $60 billion. Lyft is a similar company also based in San Francisco. These and other transportation network companies have been the topic of debate over safety and other concerns since their inception. All eyes will be on Austin when the city’s voters take to the ballot in May.

Safety on the road, whether behind the wheel or as a passenger, is our top concern at Terry & Kelly, PLLC. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s extremely important to contact Austin Car Accident Attorney immediately in order to preserve certain legal rights. Call us today at 512-900-9000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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102 Traffic Fatalities on Austin’s Roads in 2015

The year 2015 was a horrible year for drivers in the Austin area. Last year Austin, TX broke the record for the number of fatalities related to driving accidents with 102 traffic-related deaths. When compared to 2014 this number has nearly doubled.

 

What’s Causing The Increase In Traffic Related Deaths?

The increase in traffic accidents in the Austin area can be attributed to the increasing population in the area leading to larger amounts of people on the road and a decaying road system. As more people use Austin’s roads the risk for car accidents and fatalities increases dramatically. Many of these traffic related deaths could be attributed to driving at high speeds, the illegal use of electronic devices, poor road signage, and the lack of passageways for cyclists and pedestrians.

 

How To Remain Safe While Driving

With so much at stake, it is crucial for area residents to make the extra effort to stay safe while driving in the Austin area. Terry & Kelly, PLLC encourages all drivers to:

–  Obey all speed limits and traffic laws

–  Be aware of drivers around them

–  Avoid distractions such as texting and driving

–  Never drink and drive

–  Look twice for pedestrians, bicycle riders, and motorcycles, especially at intersections

–  Refrain from listening to the music too loud

–  Take extra precautions during rainy or icy weather

–  Keep your car properly maintained

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, it’s extremely important to contact a personal injury attorney immediately in order to protect certain legal rights. If you are looking for an Austin Car Accident Attorney, contact Terry and Kelly, PLLC today at 512-900-9000 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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