New Texas Traffic Laws Scheduled To Hit the Road in September

Learn more about Texas traffic law updates that could spell changes in the way you drive.

2011-08-25

August 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) On Sept. 1, 2011, a number of new modifications to the Texas traffic code take effect. Not surprisingly, this means more restrictions for some Texas drivers. However, the thrust of the new laws actually allows for greater freedom on Texas roadways.

Young Drivers' Cell Phone Ban

Currently, those Texans granted a provisional license are prohibited from using a cellular phone in any capacity (both talking and texting) for the first 12 months. After Sept. 1, the cell phone ban will be strengthened to include every driver under the age of 18.

Increased Speed limits

Texas is the only state that still requires drivers to slow down after dark. State statutes establish a nighttime speed limit of 65 mph on all roads with a higher daytime limit. This "nighttime differential" has been repealed; starting Sept. 1, night speed limits will be abolished throughout the state.

The elimination of the nighttime differential is not the only change to Texas speed limits. After Sept. 1, more miles of highway will be eligible for a 75 mph or 80 mph speed limit. Functionally, this means the speed limit will be increased to 75 mph on most highways throughout the state.

Further, Texas is soon to be the proud home of America's fastest posted speed limit. When the new laws take effect, officials may establish speed limits as high as 85 mph on roads designed to handle increased vehicle velocities. Before an 85 mph speed limit may be posted, however, the designated segment of roadway must pass review in a traffic and safety engineering study.

More Changes on the Horizon?

The new modifications to Texas traffic law represent a significant departure from previous regulations. Even so, the traffic law is constantly evolving, and more alterations should be expected in the future.

In fact, a bill that was also set to take effect in September would have banned text messaging while driving for all Texans. While the anti-texting bill passed in both houses of the state legislature, it was killed by Governor Rick Perry's veto on June 17. As one of approximately a dozen similar bills introduced during the 2011 legislative session, it is likely Texas lawmakers will soon revisit texting and driving.

Because Texas traffic laws are complicated and constantly changing, it is important to ensure you are not unfairly penalized. If you have received a citation, contact a local traffic ticket defense attorney today.

Article provided by Jack Byno, Attorney at Law
Visit us at www.jackbynoattorney.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Handsome annual reports cause investors to value company higher

2011-08-25

Coral Gables, FL (August 23, 2011) – As firms begin the 2011 annual report process, which many do at this time of year, they may want to pay closer attention to the way those reports look. A recent study out of the University of Miami School of Business Administration found that investors, regardless of their experience, place a higher value on firms with attractive annual reports than they do on those that produce less attractive reports. The study found that annual reports that utilize more color are perceived to have at least one percent higher annual revenues than ...

Data Collection Devices Could Soon Be Required in Vehicles

2011-08-25

Most of us are familiar with the so-called "black boxes" used in airplanes that often capture information pointing to the cause of a crash. However, not everyone is aware that similar technology is available for automobiles. In fact, if you have purchased a new car within the last few years, it is likely an event data recorder ("EDR") is already keeping track of your driving habits. Now, a new rule proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") could mandate that all vehicles contain EDRs. Benefits of Event Data ...

Scripps Research scientists define cellular pathway essential to removing damaged mitochondria

2011-08-25

JUPITER, FL, August 23, 2011 – In a joint research effort with researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and with help from scientists at The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Minnesota, and the National Institutes of Health, investigators from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have defined a specific protein complex that allows cells to rid themselves of damaged mitochondria, which are the energy producing machines of the cell. "This protein complex is already being targeted in cancer therapeutics," said John Cleveland, chair ...

New Research Shows Many Drivers Unprepared for Challenges of the Road

2011-08-25

Every year, GMAC Insurance, one of the largest auto insurers in the United States, conducts a study that examines drivers' knowledge of the rules of the road. The GMAC Insurance National Driver's Test has become a widely-respected litmus test of the general state of safe conduct on the nation's highways. This year's results, although a marginal improvement over 2010, still reveal a sorely-lacking emphasis on care behind the wheel for a large segment of American motorists. Nearly One Fifth of Drivers Would Be Unable to Pass Written Test In 2011, 5,130 licensed drivers ...

Tennessee Supreme Court Approves Forms for Uncontested Divorce

2011-08-25

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently approved the use of certain forms to be used in uncontested divorces throughout the state. Where litigants do not own real property or have minor children, they will be able to use plain-language forms to facilitate simple divorces. The Court incorporated a new rule making the forms acceptable in all Tennessee family courts beginning September 1, 2011. The forms will help parties in filing an "agreed divorce," which is also known as an uncontested divorce. The instructions that will accompany the forms will cover a range ...

Novel cytokine protects mice from colitis

2011-08-25

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects more than 1 million patients in North America, results from an uncontrolled immune response triggered by environmental factors, such as bacteria, in people genetically predisposed to the disorder. Ulcerative colitis, or inflammation of the lining of the colon, is one such condition. The aberrant immune response found in IBD is prompted by different cytokines – small signaling proteins secreted by various cells, including immune cells – that activate the immune system, causing chronic inflammation. Now researchers led ...

A new set of building blocks for simple synthesis of complex molecules

2011-08-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Assembling chemicals can be like putting together a puzzle. University of Illinois chemists have developed a way of fitting the pieces together to more efficiently build complex molecules, beginning with a powerful and promising antioxidant. Led by chemistry professor Martin Burke, the team published its research on the cover of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie. Burke's group is known for developing a synthesis technique called iterative cross-coupling (ICC) that uses simple, stable chemical "building blocks" sequentially joined in a repetitive ...

Harvesting Marijuana Could Come With Stiff Penalties

2011-08-25

The approach of autumn means one thing for Wisconsin farmers -- harvest season. For most farmers this means picking corn or soy beans, for others it means harvesting marijuana. Following two busts of large-scale marijuana grow operations in the last two years, it appears that Wisconsin law enforcement officers are keeping a close watch on possible marijuana grow operations. Both busts involved the seizure of tens-of-thousands of marijuana plants -- with street values in the millions of dollars -- grown in remote corners of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Northern ...

Melanin's 'trick' for maintaining radioprotection studied

2011-08-25

Sunbathers have long known that melanin in their skin cells provides protection from the damage caused by visible and ultraviolet light. More recent studies have shown that melanin, which is produced by multitudes of the planet's life forms, also gives some species protection from ionizing radiation. In certain microbes, in particular some organisms from near the former nuclear reactor facilities in Chernobyl, melanin has even been linked to increased growth in the presence of ionizing radiation. Research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National ...

New theory may shed light on dynamics of large-polymer liquids

2011-08-25

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new physics-based theory could give researchers a deeper understanding of the unusual, slow dynamics of liquids composed of large polymers. This advance provides a better picture of how polymer molecules respond under fast-flow, high-stress processing conditions for plastics and other polymeric materials. Kenneth S. Schweizer, the G. Ronald and Margaret H. Professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois, and graduate student Daniel Sussman published their findings in the journal Physical Review Letters. "This is the first ...

Krebs von den Lungen-6 as a biomarker for distinguishing between interstitial lung disease and interstitial lung abnormalities based on computed tomography findings

New Texas Traffic Laws Scheduled To Hit the Road in September

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: