City Of Fort Worth: Safety Campaign Aims To Reduce Freight-Related Accidents

Press release from City of Fort Worth:

August 30, 2021

With a population of nearly 8 million in North Texas and no access to a seaport, the surface transportation system is a crucial link to deliver goods to market.

The importance of commercial motor vehicles was magnified during the early days of the pandemic as essential to a logistics chain that kept goods moving while people were mostly at home. Moving freight over the roads will remain essential in Dallas-Fort Worth long after COVID-19 has been overcome.

And safe delivery of goods is a top priority, whether during a pandemic or in ordinary times.

In the past five years, there have been an average of nearly 300 truck-involved crashes per month in North Texas, with the number increasing each year. The North Central Texas Council of Governments has launched the Safe Driving Campaign to reduce freight-related accidents and to inform the public about safe driving practices near large trucks and freight trains.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, and freight traffic will continue to increase to supply the rising demand for consumer product deliveries. This underscores the importance of passenger vehicles and commercial motor vehicles sharing the roads and watching out for one another.

Heavy-duty vehicles can be difficult to maneuver, and they need about 40% more time than passenger cars to stop. These habits can help keep North Texans safe.

Truck drivers can do their part by following truck lane restrictions, which prohibit them from using the inside lane on more than 500 miles of highways in Dallas-Fort Worth – except when passing.

Recently, increasing volumes of freight moved on all modes have heightened concerns about freight and passenger vehicles competing for use of the transportation system. Freight rail is also a crucial mode by which goods are delivered to Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond. In recent years, the number of incidents at railroad crossings have steadily declined. These tips could help this trend continue:

Whether freight is moved by trucks or trains, simple choices can make the roads safer for all users every day. Learn more on the North Central Texas Council of Governments website.

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This press release was produced by City of Fort Worth. The views expressed here are the author’s own.