The Road to Zero
00000175-b316-d35a-a3f7-bbdeffe60000Last year, 102 people died on Austin's roads, the highest number the city's ever recorded. No one has a clear answer as to why there was such a sharp uptick, but the city is working on finding ways to address the deadliest contributing factors.
To Battle Texting and Driving, Austin Police Turn to the Element of Surprise
KUT 90.5 | By Matt Largey
Published May 11, 2016 at 8:33 AM CDT
Miguel Gutierrez Jr./KUT News
Officer David Montalvo scans traffic on I-35 for distracted drivers. Specifically, Officer Montalvo is looking for drivers that are texting while behind the wheel.
Over the next few months, the Austin Police Department plans to step up enforcement of the city's hands-free driving law, which prohibits talking or typing on a phone or other handheld electronic device while driving, without the use of a hands-free device.
To do this, police are using unexpected vehicles: Capital Metro buses.
At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, about a dozen Austin Police officers gathered in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart at Slaughter Lane and I-35.
A line of police cruisers, motorcycles and an empty bus stood at the ready. Four officers get into the bus to cruise up and down I-35 during morning rush hour to look for drivers violating the hands-free ordinance.
They radio to officers in cruisers and on motorcycles along the bus's path to pull over the drivers they spot.
Sgt. Michael Barger, who's overseeing the enforcement operation, says the higher vantage point makes it easier to spot drivers using their phones illegally. He says since the hands-free law went into place, he's noticed drivers holding their phones lower to avoid detection, which makes it hard for officers in regular police vehicles.
Credit Miguel Gutierrez Jr./KUT News
A Cap Metro bus is used by APD during their operation on I-35. The officers on the bus coordinate with officers on the road to apprehend distracted driver.
"You're trying to operate the vehicle and at the same time, you're trying to look around and see if someone's violating that ordinance," said Sgt. Barger. "There's nothing more distracting that trying to see what other people are doing in their car."
Austin Police have written about 7,000 citations for violating the hands-free ordinance since it started being enforced on February 1, 2015. But Barger says, in his experience, its had little effect on the number of people engaged in that behavior. Studies have found drivers who are texting and driving perform as bad as those who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
"You know, people are driving along, they got both hands on their phone like that guy in the Chevy Sonic right there," Barger says. "How's he steering? He's not even watching traffic, he's looking at his phone and he's got both hands on it."
Credit Miguel Gutierrez Jr./KUT News.
After receiving information from APD aboard the Cap Metro bus, this officer pulled over a driver suspected of driving while distracted.
Tuesday was the fourth time in the past few months that APD did one of these enforcement operations. The last one, on May 4, netted 71 citations for hands-free violations. Barger says they plan to do these operations weekly over the summer.
"I think by the conclusion of this operation, we'll assess whether or not we think that people are compliant with the ordinance," said Barger. "If we think they are, we'll probably reduce the number of times that we do this. But we'll continue to do it because we think its effective."
On Tuesday, the operation resulted in 61 citations. Barger says the fines are around $200. First-time offenders are may be eligible to have their fine waived, if they can show proof that they bought a Bluetooth or other hands-free attachment for their phone or device after their citation.
APD conducted a Hands-Free initiative this AM, issuing 61 citations, 7 warnings & 19 other violations. #HandsFreeATX pic.twitter.com/imiEzfAfPX
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) May 10, 2016
AustinRoad To Zero
Matt Largey
Matt Largey is the Projects Editor at KUT. He previously worked at WBUR in Boston. His work has appeared on many national radio shows. He's won numerous awards for his reporting, including a national Edward R. Murrow award in 2013. He's originally from Maine, but has lived in Austin since 2006. While it might sound hard to believe, he thinks Maine and Texas are remarkably similar.
See stories by Matt Largey
Why Driver Distraction Is a Persistent Problem That Defies Easy Solutions
This story is part of our series, The Road to Zero, which explores traffic deaths and injuries in Austin and the city's plan to prevent them.On January…
Vision Zero Plan Passes Through Mobility Committee, Heads to Council for Final Approval
The city of Austin's Vision Zero plan is heading to the full city council for final approval next week with the blessing of the city's Mobility Committee,…
What Exactly Is a Vision Zero Plan? And Why Does Austin Need One?
Audrey McGlinchy
This is the first story in our series, The Road to Zero, which explores traffic deaths and injuries in Austin and the city's plan to prevent them.One…