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A pilot program aimed at reducing the number car accidents due to distracted drivers on the roads has proven to be successful for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The pilot program, called "Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other," was styled after another very successful safety program, the "Click It or Ticket" campaign, according to USA Today.

Piloted in Syracuse, NY, and Hartford, CT, the program used increased police enforcement of distracted driving laws joined with public education campaigns at four different times - April, July and October 2010, and March - April 2011. Results of the program show every indication of it being successful; including, drops of 32 percent in both cell phone use and texting in Syracuse, and drops of 57 percent for cell phone use and 72 percent for texting in Hartford.

After a recent rollover car accident on I-10 near Clint, one man was pronounced dead and another remains in critical condition. El Paso County Sherriff's representatives explained to KFOX-14 news that a dark green truck was racing another car in the eastbound lanes of I-10, when the truck tried to pull onto the off ramp at the Clint exit. The accident occurred when the truck lost control and swerved back onto the freeway, causing it to roll over several times.

Authorities indicated that the neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing seat belts at the time. Both were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled. The driver died on the way to the hospital, and the passenger was left in critical condition at Del Sol medical center.

10,000 people die in rollover accidents each year. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) the number of serious injuries increases 36 percent when a car rolls over in a crash. When this happens, tremendous pressure is forced on passengers' heads and necks, thereby causing debilitating injuries. These are also known as "roof crush" injuries.

Texas legislators began the spring 2011 legislative session vowing to pass new, more stringent drunk driving laws in the wake of several drunk driving accidents in the state. However, by the time the session was over, lawmakers had managed to agree on only one of the proposed bills.

Lawmakers did send the Abdallah Khader Act to Gov. Perry's desk for him to sign into law. The Act is named for a two-year-old boy who is in a vegetative state after an alleged repeat-offender drunk driver hit his parents' car. The new Act would make intoxication assault a second degree felony if the victim is left in a vegetative state, increasing the possible prison time from 10 years to 20. Additionally, the Act increases driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a B.A.C. above .15 percent to a class A misdemeanor, making the maximum penalty one year in prison, as opposed to the previous six-month maximum jail term.

Ironically, Memorial Day, once known as Decoration Day, marked a time that Americans remembered those brave individuals who died in the service of our nation. However, many people today view the holiday as the start of the summer vacation season and a day to travel. Sadly, Memorial Day has become one of the most dangerous days on our nation's highways.

This fact may be especially true for Texans. Texas State Police reported four fatalities related to this past Memorial Day crashes. Two car accidents occurred on I-95. Jose Nuñez died after his car lost control and collided with a concrete barrier, guardrail, tractor-trailer and a light pole. Twenty-seven year old Laura Kavazanjian lost her life when she was thrown from the vehicle in which she was a passenger. Teen Eric Mohamed was killed when his car went off the road and crashed into a tree. Motorcyclist Christopher Corona died when his bike crashed head-on with another vehicle.

Law enforcement responded to 260 traffic accidents during the weekend, many of which resulted in injuries. In one accident, five people were injured when a driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into stopped traffic.