Bills Include Lowering Residential Speed Limits Stopping for Pedestrians and Banning Curfews
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Rep. Celia Israel (House District 50) has filed three bills to address public safety on our roads and around our communities. Since November 7 2000 a day has not passed without a death on Texas roads. In 2017 alone Texas suffered 3721 traffic deaths. This is a crisis and it is preventable.
HB 1287 would lower the default speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour in residential neighborhoods ensuring that our children and all pedestrians can live and play safely in their neighborhoods.
Since 2010 over 1700 children have died or been seriously injured while walking or riding their bikes on Texas roads.
HB 1289 ensures that drivers not only yield but fully stop to the right-of-way of our pedestrians at the crosswalk.
A five mile reduction in speed can make the difference between life and death for our kids on residential streets. Rep. Israel said. We need to get serious about slowing down and stopping for pedestrians. People are dying and we have the power to do something about it.
Rep. Israel also filed HB 1332 banning the use of juvenile curfews. The data and evidence around these antiquated juvenile curfew policies show that curfew laws really do nothing to curb crime. However they do disproportionally affect young children of color.
Ending these outdated curfew policies wont prevent an officer from stopping a minor and asking if they need a ride home or help. What this will do is stop officers from ticketing kids for violating a frivolous law and adding them to an already crowded judicial system.
