Texas Leads U.S. in Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths September 19, 2000
News Summary
Over the next two years, Texas will lose $96 million in federal highway construction funds because state laws are not tough enough on impaired drivers, the Associated Press reported Sept. 15.Currently, Texas leads the United States in alcohol-related traffic deaths. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 1999 Texas had 1,734 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, about half of all driving deaths in the state that year. Nationwide, about 38 percent of all traffic deaths are alcohol-related.
According to Mark Cross, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, the state will lose federal funding because Texas doesn't ban open containers of alcohol in vehicles and doesn't automatically jail repeat drunken drivers. "It's money that we would have used for construction and traffic congestion and mobility projects," said Cross.
Texas State Rep. Fred Hill had tried five times to pass legislation banning open containers in vehicles. He plans to try once again when the legislature convenes in January.
In addition to Texas, 15 other states will lose a portion of their federal highway construction funds by Oct. 1.
COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE: