| TranStar Press Release | |
TranStar Initiates Campaign to Prevent Freeway Deaths |
Feb 9th, 2021 |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (February 9, 2021)
Joshua Shideler, Public Information Officer Office: 713-881-3044 TranStar Initiates It’s Only a White Line Campaign to Prevent Deaths of Stranded Motorists and Pedestrians on Freeways With more than five million registered vehicles in its service area, Houston TranStar is launching It’s Only a White Line to help prevent loss of life and injuries to stranded motorists and pedestrians on local freeways. In a 10-year period, about 75 percent of stranded motorists who died in Harris County were standing outside their vehicles. With only a stripe of white paint separating people and fast-moving traffic, getting off the freeway is your safest bet. “We can prevent these tragedies by quickly moving stopped vehicles off the roadway and following Texas’ Move Over or Slow Down Law,” said Dinah Massie, Executive Director of Houston TranStar. “We must also educate people about the dangers of getting out of the car, changing a tire or trying to cross the freeway on foot.” It’s Only a White Line will urge travelers to take these steps if car trouble occurs: - The number one goal is to get out of danger. Take the nearest exit, even if it means ruining the tire rim or damaging the vehicle. - If you can’t get to an exit, pull as far off the road as possible. - If stranded, remain in the vehicle. Stay buckled, turn on hazard lights, call for help and move your seat back as far as possible. - In the Tow and Go service area, use TranStar’s free mobile app to call for a no-cost tow. To strengthen this effort and broaden campaign reach, TranStar has recruited a cross section of experts with distinct relevance to this issue to serve on an It’s Only a White Line Leadership Council. “We have representatives from incident management, law enforcement, transportation, medical research, hospital trauma and auto insurance who are providing incredible insight and guidance for preventing freeway deaths,” said Massie. Members of the It’s Only a White Line Leadership Council include: Dinah Massie Executive Director, Houston TranStar Lieutenant Cedrick Collier Harris County Sheriff’s Office Stacy Ann Drake, PhD, MPH, RN Associate Professor Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing, Texas A&M University David Fink Regional Incident Management Program Manager, Houston-Galveston Area Council Gulf Coast Regional Tow and Go™ David McDonald Traffic Incident Management Coordinator, Texas Department of Transportation Laura J. Moore, MD, FACS Memorial Hermann Hospital (TMC) and The University of Texas Health Science Center Dept. Surgery, Div. of Acute Care Surgery Jeanette Rash Owner, Fast Tow and Board Member, Texas Towing & Storage Association Dwayne Wolf, MD, PhD Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Harris County Institute for Forensic Sciences David Wuthrich Executive Director, Independent Insurance Agents of Houston Houston TranStar’s campaign Public Service Announcement can be viewed in both English and Spanish on TranStar's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/houstontranstarvideo. For more information on how to Travel Smart with TranStar, including information on It’s Only a White Line and other traffic safety campaigns, visit HoustonTranStar.org. Download TranStar’s Mobile App at the Google Play or Apple App store for quick access to travel times, roadway conditions and Tow and Go™ service. # # # |
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