Texas: Electronic Toll Road Creates Danger

Article: Texas: Electronic Toll Road Creates Danger

Electronic toll roads in Texas are confusing motorists and causing significant safety hazards. Old-fashioned cash toll booths are already known to increase the risk of accidents, but videotape from Harris County toll road officials documents how electronic alternatives create dangers of their own.

KTRK-TV in Houston reported on several cases where confused EZ Tag toll transponder users were confused by the multiple signs directing motorists variously into "Full Service" or "EZ tag" or "Exact Change" lanes, some of which may or may not be working. Instead of attempting to process all of the visual information at speed, some drivers just decided to stop in the middle of the road to figure it out.

"That's like stopping on I-10 in the fast lanes during rush hour and getting out and walking around your vehicle, it's dangerous," Harris County Precinct One Constable's Office Lieutenant Jeff Cook told KTRK.

Others dangerously swerved out of the wrong lane into the proper lane, or attempted to back out of the EZ Tag lanes. The incidents are common and the consequences can be fatal. In January, a three-year old was killed in an accident caused by a constable rear-ending a confused driver.

At times, the confusion is not even the motorist's fault. Grahame Taylor found last June that his EZ Tag toll transponder failed to work at entrance or exit ramps on the Sam Houston Tollway.

"It doesn't appear that they have researched the rollout of this program very well," Taylor told KRIV-TV. "In fact, it looks like they're using their customer base to troubleshoot the program."

View video of Grahame Taylor interview. Source