Insurance group wants zero-tolerance in speeding tickets

By ANNA M. TINSLEY / Harte-Hanks Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - An insurance group urged Texas law enforcement officials Tuesday to adopt a zero-tolerance policy - and issue tickets to motorists exceeding speed limits by even one mile per hour.

Insurers say they are worried because this will be the first Christmas season in decades that Texans can legally drive 70 mph on many state roads.

"This is the time there should be zero tolerance," said Jerry Johns, president of Southwestern Insurance Information Service. "If people are exceeding the speed limit by as little as one mph, they should be ticketed.

"We hope that law enforcement adopts a zero-tolerance policy and lets people in Texas know they will not be tolerant of speeding."

Texas Department of Public Safety officials say speeding on Texas roads - at any time of the year - is always a concern.

"We take speed limits very seriously, as does the insurance industry," said Laureen Chernow, DPS spokeswoman. "But there are not enough law enforcement officers to keep every car from speeding.

"Law enforcement officers get those who are speeding the most," she said. "We have a speed limit ... and we enforce that speed limit."

Last December, there were 274 fatal traffic accidents, killing 311 people, according to DPS records. During that month, 37,537 speeding tickets were issued.

The state began raising speed limits on Texas highways Dec. 8, 1995, after President Clinton signed a bill repealing federal speed limits. New limits were set at 70 mph on about 47,000 miles of Texas roads.

Fatality counts and speeding tickets for this year's Thanksgiving weekend won't be available until next year, according to the DPS.

But state consumer groups say they support efforts to cut down on accidents on Texas roadways.

"Traffic accidents during the holiday season are tragic," said Rob Schneider, senior staff attorney with the Consumers Union's southwest regional office. "But in addition, the cost of traffic accidents - for repairing vehicles and people - is very high.

"We are supportive of any proposals that would decrease the number of accidents, especially during the holiday season."

DPS officials point to speeding, alcohol, drinking - and a lack of motorists wearing seatbelts - as factors in accidents and deaths on Texas roads.

In the first six months of this year, 1,450 people died in traffic accidents on Texas highways - compared with 1,203 deaths during the same time last year, according to the most recent DPS statistics.

Fewer speeding tickets were issued this year. DPS officials have said that's because state troopers were pulled off Texas roads to help process applications for concealed handguns.

From January to June this year, 207,686 speeding tickets were issued in Texas. Last year, 276,374 speeding tickets were issued, according to preliminary DPS statistics.

"There are a lot of people out there not obeying speed limits," Chernow said. "And there are a lot more of them than there are police officers."

During major holidays, DPS officials ask law enforcement agencies statewide to immediately report fatalities to the Austin division so media can inform Texans of the accident rate.

"They can publicize that these people have lost their lives in traffic accidents," Chernow said. "It may touch people more during the holidays ... and (stress) the need to be careful."

The program isn't operated during Thanksgiving weekend.

But speeding during the holidays is of great concern, officials say, because there's more traffic and more opportunities for accidents.

"It's always a concern because chronic speeders tend to have more frequent accidents," said Susan Slivinske, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute. "It's a concern at any time of the year, but particularly when the weather may be bad or there may be more people drinking.

"Also when there are a number of people taking long trips and they may be tired."

Johns said he worries that people will drive 75 and 80, thinking that law enforcement officials will overlook motorists going only a few miles over the legal speed limit.

He said Texas drivers shouldn't be given leeway.

Tom "Smitty" Smith, director of Public Citizen's Texas office, agrees.

"They raised the speed limit to 70, not expecting people to go 80 (mph)," Smith said. "(John's proposal) will help save lives, cut down on insurance premiums and cut down on air pollution."

The state Transportation Department has asked the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University-College Station to study the impact of the higher speed limits. Three reports are expected to be issued next year.

Chernow said DPS troopers are committed to enforcing the state's speed limit - whatever time of the year.

"DPS troopers are looking for people speeding over the limit or driving too fast for conditions - weather or traffic - that says you need to be driving slower," she said.

"Any major holiday period concerns us for safe driving reasons. More people are out on the roads and those people may be in a hurry, they may be tired, they may be drinking and they may be careless."