Cebu, Philippines, and the immediate suburbs are about a million people. Traffic there makes Houston’s traffic seem smooth and calm. Mandaue City is an immediate suburb that shares in the area’s traffic woes. However, Mandaue City has implemented a state of the art traffic control system which, by local reports, caused a significant improvement in traffic flow. A local blog about the system can be found here.
The short version is the city connected cameras to the traffic lights via fiber optic cables, and the images are sent to a central traffic control station. The lights are interconnected and controlled by the traffic control station which can change signal duration on the fly. The duration is displayed on a timer that counts down similar to a crosswalk timer. The purported benefits are 1) less congestion 2) saving 10 gallons/year in fuel consumption per vehicle and 3) crime deterrence. Establishing a similar system in Houston will help reduce surface street congestion, but won’t do anything to help the highways.
Having less congestion and reduced fuel consumption is nice. However, crime deterrence is where significant impact can be felt. Houston has a significant no/expired auto insurance problem, and a significant hit and run problem. The following tables quantify the problem. They were provided by TxDOT pursuant to the requirements of the federal highway safety laws and are subject to the disclaimer at the end of the post.
In order to be a reportable accident either $1,000 in damage or an injury occurred.
Hit-and-Run
Crash Year | Fatal Crashes | Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Non-Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Possible Injury Crashes | Non-Injury Crashes | Unknown Injury Crashes | Total Crashes |
2010 | 21 | 60 | 334 | 863 | 3,263 | 798 | 5,339 |
2011 | 23 | 59 | 312 | 920 | 3,636 | 759 | 5,709 |
2012 | 15 | 106 | 479 | 1,332 | 4,771 | 1,048 | 7,751 |
2013 | 28 | 79 | 495 | 1,359 | 5,538 | 1,187 | 8,686 |
2014 | 33 | 108 | 560 | 1,605 | 6,590 | 1,221 | 10,117 |
2015 | 25 | 131 | 551 | 1,653 | 7,799 | 1,361 | 11,520 |
2016 | 39 | 134 | 636 | 1,748 | 8,164 | 1,370 | 12,091 |
No/Expired Insurance
Crash Year | Fatal Crashes | Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Non-Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Possible Injury Crashes | Non-Injury Crashes | Unknown Injury Crashes | Total Crashes |
2010 | 82 | 340 | 1,398 | 3,034 | 7,788 | 1,096 | 13,738 |
2011 | 78 | 286 | 1,191 | 2,801 | 7,600 | 1,087 | 13,043 |
2012 | 90 | 402 | 1,503 | 3,742 | 9,188 | 1,427 | 16,352 |
2013 | 74 | 293 | 1,518 | 3,727 | 10,145 | 1,631 | 17,388 |
2014 | 72 | 364 | 1,620 | 4,275 | 11,765 | 1,665 | 19,761 |
2015 | 69 | 422 | 1,583 | 4,322 | 13,291 | 1,892 | 21,579 |
2016 | 103 | 423 | 1,801 | 4,538 | 13,997 | 1,869 | 22,731 |
Both No/Expired Insurance and Hit-and-Run
Crash Year | Fatal Crashes | Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Non-Incapacitating Injury Crashes | Possible Injury Crashes | Non-Injury Crashes | Unknown Injury Crashes | Total Crashes |
2010 | 13 | 40 | 210 | 520 | 2,144 | 557 | 3,484 |
2011 | 16 | 48 | 216 | 648 | 2,704 | 566 | 4,198 |
2012 | 10 | 73 | 352 | 1,021 | 3,656 | 799 | 5,911 |
2013 | 20 | 55 | 370 | 1,012 | 4,248 | 871 | 6,576 |
2014 | 21 | 80 | 423 | 1,234 | 5,135 | 912 | 7,805 |
2015 | 17 | 95 | 391 | 1,273 | 5,939 | 981 | 8,696 |
2016 | 33 | 107 | 487 | 1,344 | 6,432 | 1,033 | 9,436 |
The following tables are derived from the tables above
Percentage of hit and run with no/expired insurance
Crash Year | Percentage Uninsured |
2010 | 65.2 |
2011 | 73.5 |
2012 | 76.2 |
2013 | 75.7 |
2014 | 77.1 |
2015 | 75.4 |
2016 | 78.0 |
On average 74.44{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the hit and run accidents involve uninsured drivers.
However, the following table is more troubling.
Percentage of no/expired insurance drivers who run.
Crash Year | Percentage Run |
2010 | 38.8 |
2011 | 43.7 |
2012 | 47.4 |
2013 | 49.9 |
2014 | 51.1 |
2015 | 53.3 |
2016 | 53.1 |
The number of uninsured drivers who run is steadily increasing. This suggests either 1) drivers do not fear the consequences of running or 2) an underlying situation exists that makes the fear of staying more compelling than the fear of running. (Outstanding warrant as an example.)
So can be done to reduce the number of hit-and-run accidents? Given the high incidence of uninsured drivers simply looking for that sliver of drivers will reduce the rate. This can be accomplished by focusing law enforcement personnel in areas more likely to have the violators. Simply have officers positioned in the ‘U’ turns under the main highways and check for registration stickers.
Another option is to do a warrant roundup with the option to voluntarily appear and make arrangements before the roundup begins. Removing the fear of consequences for staying will lead to less drivers running. As a bit of lagniappe, both ways generate revenue for the City and the former encourages insurance rates to rise while the latter gives individuals an opportunity to clear the slate and void future peril.
Disclaimer (taken directly from TxDOT)
Federal highway safety laws require the state to create this crash database for use in obtaining federal safety improvement funds. Section 409 of Title 23 of the United States Code, forbids the discovery and admission into evidence of reports, data, or other information compiled or collected for activities required pursuant to Federal highway safety programs, or for the purpose of developing any highway safety construction improvement project, which may be implemented utilizing federal-aid highway funds, in tort litigation arising from occurrences at the locations addressed in such documents of data. Information that is not available to a party in civil litigation may be confidential under state law pursuant to Tex. Gov’t. Code Sec. 552.111.
Bill Daniels says
Put officers in U-turn lanes under freeways? Does trolls hiding under bridges ring a bell? I’ve seen this type of sting before, and it endangers not only officers who face getting run over by inattentive motorists, but it also endangers every motorist who makes a u-turn. Who expects the car in front of you in a u-turn to suddenly stop for seemingly no reason? Way to promote rear end accidents. Also, we know that these stings will net plenty of seat belt tickets, and those tickets won’t prevent one hit and run accident, they will just generate revenue.
I was stopped years ago under I-10 at McCarty because the officer said my passenger didn’t have a seat belt. My passenger WAS wearing a seat belt. He grabbed the belt from his chest and told the officer “look, I am WEARING my seat belt,” to which the officer said, “well, go on then.” I could have been rear ended by someone not paying attention behind me, all for having committed no crime, for my passenger having committed no crime. I have no problem with cops ticketing motorists who don’t pay their license plate tax, but find a safer way to do it.
Howie Katz says
As long as insurance rates are high, many low wage workers simply cannot afford the coverage. Then there are those who choose between paying for insurance and their daily beers – guess which wins out? Houston also has a large number of undocumented workers who are afraid they will be deported if they stay at the scene of a car crash.
Houston’s hit-and-run problem is no different than that of Los Angeles. You can double the size of Houston’s police force, but while that may help to catch more of the miscreants, it will have only a minimal impact on the number of hit-and-run accidents.
Your plan to check for registration stickers is a good one, but unless you can seize the car and keep it impounded until the owner shows up with proof of insurance, the driver will be on his jolly way with a summons that he will ignore.
As for Cebu, I’ve been there a couple of times and spent this past Christmas and New Year’s on the Island. Once you get away from Cebu City and its immediate suburbs there are no traffic controls. Everyone uses the main highway to get around – buses, 18-wheelers, pedicabs, motorcycles, cars, pedicabs, bicycles, pedestrians and more pedicabs. The pedicabs are either motorized or operated by some poor soul pedaling away. Everyone drives along blowing their horns, not to tell some dickhead to get out of the way, but rather to warn the pedicab drivers and pedestrians that they are about to be passed, usually on the wrong side of the road. With everyone dodging from one side to the other, it’s amazing that there are few head-on collisions.
By contrast, back here in Houston you’re liable to get shot if you blow your car horn at some irate good-ole-boy who believes he should be free to use the roadway without the annoyance of having another driver blow a horn at him.
Greg Degeyter says
Ironic, we were in Cebu that time period also. Where did you go? My wife is from there so we try to go back once or twice a year. If you ever get the chance to go to Aloguinsan the beach at Hermit Cove is nice. 80+ stairs to get there though.
You’re spot on regarding the mindset. In all the trips there I’ve only seen one collision.
I am curious as to if/why you think undocumented individuals are a significant amount of those who run. From a conventional wisdom standpoint that makes sense, but it doesn’t explain the significant growth in the percentage who run.
Your thesis will be either validated or refuted when the 2017 data is compiled. The Trump administration and threat of deportations will make it more likely undocumented individuals will run. If the percentage spikes then that’s the likely cause.
I agree the first offense no insurance the driver is likely to no show. However, a bench warrant would issue and the second offense will lead to an arrest for the warrant.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Paul says
My home town of Duluth Minnesota had timed lights on key through streets so that you could breeze through town quickly. Also, after a certain time (midnight of so) the lights would blink yellow on the main street and red on the side street. I have always found it odd to be stopped at a light late at night with no one around, and here you sit, waiting for the light to change. Houston has always been behind the time with regards to traffic management.