Texas safety guidelines exist and mandate that protective barriers should barricade concrete bridge posts that are less than 30 feet from the freeway road. Not only does this safety precaution exist, it is often not adhered to in different locations throughout Texas. On numerous occasions, these precautions have been taken only after the loss of a life. Is death what is required to increase safety?
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has erected freeway bridges with concrete bridge posts situated closer to the freeway road than the mandated 30-foot distance. Often, TxDOT has done this with no protective barrier, such as a guard rail, to protect drivers from crashing into these posts. The function of protective barriers is to give with the impact of a vehicle and to redirect that vehicle back onto the road. A concrete post is much less forgiving.
It appears the burden is now on the public to notify TxDOT of any dangerous concrete posts that exist within the 30-foot danger zone. So keep your eyes open and notify TxDOT if you see a highway risk. Let’s help to prevent any unnecessary deaths on our Texas roads.
If you or someone you know was injured or killed in an auto collision, it is important to know your right to recover. Contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211 for a confidential and no-cost consultation.