Texas highway injury lawyers mention that Highway 71 near Austin, TX is a major artery for traffic. But it’s also a narrow, two-lane, old school holdover from the days before Texas became a magnet for out-of-work folks from all the other states. Additionally, Highway 71 stands in the midst of a spate of construction projects designed to widen it at necessary points and ease traffic flow.
Of course, the ease only comes into play after the construction gets finished. In the meantime, drivers wend their way down a narrow path often blocked by obstructions and subject to sudden stops.
Our Texas highway injury lawyers note that the narrow highway is filled with heavy trucks hauling construction materials as well as the other truck traffic that takes goods from coastal and inland ports to destinations throughout the state. And some local residents driving their smaller passenger vehicles feel afraid. One even went so far as to quit a good job that required a daily commute back and forth down Highway 21. She mentioned that at one time, the most dangerous stretch of Highway 71 experienced about an accident per day.
On Monday, the driver of a flatbed truck incautiously swerved into oncoming traffic. His swerving sought to avoid a rear-end collision with the car ahead that had stopped suddenly. But the swerve brought him into a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by a 68-year-old driver.
A three-car pileup a few months ago claimed a life near Hamilton Pool Road. And a collision between a delivery truck and a car a few months previously also claimed a life.
The ongoing reports of fatal collisions have local drivers worried. But TxDOT maintains that the accident rate for that highway is not above that of other central Texas roads. TxDOT says that the frequency of accidents should lessen further once construction is completed on Highway 71. (Source: KVUE.com, Morgan Chesky, 7/24/2012)
Our Texas highway injury lawyers remain unsure how to interpret the TxDOT statements in light of local residents evident worry and ongoing anxiety regarding the safety of Highway 71 near Austin. Does the TxDOT statement really mean what it appears to mean on its face, or does it just mean that most of the busy central Texas roads are just extraordinarily dangerous and over-trafficked. I find I’m not that inclined to journey Highway 71 and find out for myself.
Be prepared in the event that you experience an unexpected accident with a heavy truck in a Highway 71 construction zone. Download our Texas highway injury lawyers’ free book on how to handle a serious wreck. The book is available free to our readers from this web page.