APD working to reduce deadly crashes

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin police are talking about bumping up patrols to keep drivers safer on the roads.

In order to pinpoint dangerous areas and fix the problem, police are taking an analytical approach.

2013 is already shaping up to be a bad year on the roads in Austin. Austin police said 16 people have died in accidents in Austin this year. The number is already ahead of the pace of last year, when 78 people were killed in crashes across the city. That number set a record for traffic fatalities.

Police are addressing the issues at hand. Distractions in the car, like cell phone use - more specifically texting - was one problem officers brought up at a public safety commission meeting Monday.

Assistant Chief Patrick Ockletree says APD is also looking at other contributing  factors. He said the department is addressing aggressive driving, impaired driving, and speeding.

Police have already stepped up patrols. Additional officers are now covering night and weekend shifts on Austin's streets. They're also targeting the top ten intersections where the most crashes happen, better known as 'hot spots.'

Ockletree identified three of those intersections:

• Rundberg Ln. and Interstate 35
• Highway 290 and I-35
• Riverside Dr. and I-35

Concern from the public brought talk of banning cell phone use altogether while driving into the mix.

"I am for a prohibition on hand held cell phone use while driving," said one man during the citizens communication portion of Monday's meeting.

Police say it is difficult to enforce the texting ban, since drivers can still use phones to make calls. So, an all-around ban could be the answer.

"I could see that," Ockletree said. "Based on our trends and our traffic crashes and our fatalities, I could see that."

As police continue to find ways to crack down on texting while driving, commissioners suggested looking to other cities and states and how they enforce similar bans.

In a couple of weeks, APD will be collaborating with other agencies along Interstate 35, from San Antonio up to Dallas. During spring break and continuing through March 23, they will have extra officers out patrolling the freeway.