Stay Alert for Roadway Safety Awareness This Month

4/1/2025
April reminds drivers to pay tttention on the roads and in work zones
 
 
 
PRESS RELEASE
Brian Wilson

Arlington, TEXAS - While roadway safety is a year-round concern, the spotlight shines a little brighter in April. This month is dedicated to distracted driving awareness, with motorists encouraged to stay focused and share the road.

Work Zone Awareness Week is also celebrated this month, from April 21-25. With billions of dollars invested in improving transportation reliability, active construction zones are frequent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, emphasizing the significance of this campaign.

North Texas and regions across the state are working toward a goal set by the Texas Transportation Commission to reduce the number of deaths on Texas roadways by 50% by 2035 and to zero by 2050. This effort is crucial, especially considering that between 2018 and 2022, there were nearly 2,000 serious-injury crashes and 240 fatal crashes due to distracted driving in the region. This underscores the importance of TxDOT's initiatives to enhance roadway safety and save lives.

“An effective transportation system does more than move people to their destinations efficiently. It does so safely,” said Natalie Bettger, senior program manager for congestion management and system operation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. “NCTCOG and the Regional Transportation Council work with our state and regional partners to ensure our growing population can continue to rely on the transportation system to get to work or school in the morning and home in the evening.”

Since 2021, NCTCOG, the state’s other metropolitan planning organizations and additional partners have worked with the Texas Department of Transportation on identifying and funding safety projects to reduce the number of fatalities on Texas highways.

The RTC approved a $54 million Management, Operations, Air Quality and Safety Program in 2022 aimed at funding initiatives intended to make the transportation system safer for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

In addition to funding, NCTCOG manages a number of programs dedicated to safety, including:
 
  • Drive Aware North Texas, a campaign focused on raising awareness about driver safety and reducing serious crashes by addressing negative driving behaviors.
  • The Safe Driving Campaign, initiated in 2021, targeted freight safety by encouraging all drivers, whether in passenger vehicles or trucks, to consider safety on roadways and at rail crossings.
  • The Railroad Crossing Safety Campaign, a collaboration between Operation Lifesaver and NCTCOG, aimed to decrease rail crossing accidents and educate the public on safe rail crossing practices.
  • Look Out Texans, an educational initiative designed to enhance roadway safety through 21 tips that encourage North Texans to be mindful of each other, whether biking, walking or driving.

Outside of campaigns to bring awareness to safety, NCTCOG continues to equip first responders to manage incidents safely and efficiently through its Traffic Incident Management training. More than 3,800 emergency responders from 139 cities and counties throughout the region have completed this training.


About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:  
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development.

NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered in the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. For more information on the Transportation Department, visit www.nctcog.org/trans. 
###