REPORT SHOWS SAFECLEAR TOW PROGRAM CONTINUES TO CUT FREEWAY CRASHES
September 14, 2009 -- A new study of the City of Houston’s SafeClear incident management tow program shows that it continues to have an impact on reducing freeway crashes in the city, saving drivers millions of dollars in collision costs and helping reduce freeway congestion.
The report, conducted by researchers at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University and at Rice University, shows that Safe Clear cuts approximately 120 collisions per month, saving the driving public more than $4 million each month in associated costs. The report also shows that the program is meeting most of its established goals. In 2008, the report says, 89.8% of tows were responded to within the goal of six minutes, just shy of its 90 % goal.
“When we look across the country there is nobody that’s doing a better job at getting to stalled vehicles and cutting crashes,” said Dr. Tim Lomax, with the Texas Transportation Institute, one of the principal researchers on the SafeClear project, which was launched in 2005.
“We’ve worked hard to make this program the success that it is, saving people money and time.” said Mayor Bill White.
