In 1983 a deadly accident killed seven people in Connecticut. A semi-truck carrying potatoes hit a line of cars waiting to pay a toll. The accident caused a fire that resulted in the deaths of women and children. According to WTNH News, the accident was so deadly, that it led to the state removing toll booths from its roads. The public believed they were just too deadly. Yet, with transponders making tolling easier, Connecticut is planning to bring back tolls.
Are tolls still deadly? Are there ways to keep them safer? Dallas offers drivers cashless tolling. TxTag allows drivers to put a transponder on their windshields that automatically debits their account when they pass through a toll. Drivers can pass through faster lanes, permitting the free flow of traffic. More cities and states have moved to cashless tolling, doing away with tollbooths altogether, opting to send bills in the mail to those who do not have tags.
Yet, local and regional systems can vary. Some areas still use tollbooths, which can create confusion for those who are accustomed to cashless tolling. For those who visit larger cities who are not accustomed to cashless tolling, these drivers may be similarly confused. The confusion can create delays, cause cars to slow down on faster lanes if they choose the wrong lane, and even lead to accidents. Recently, two teens were killed and two were injured when their car careened through a tollbooth. According to CBS Miami, investigators are still looking into the causes that led to the accident.
Why haven’t all municipalities, states, and cities connected their cashless tolling systems? Wired recently asked why it isn’t possible just to put a national transponder on your car windshield and drive. Despite Congress passing a law requiring electronic tolling authorities to connect their systems by October 2016, the U.S. tolling system remains patchwork and disconnected. Some cities, states, and municipalities have gotten tolling right. According to Wired, in New York City, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, drivers use the E-Z Pass, allowing them to avoid having to carry three to six different transponders for every bridge or toll they pass. E-Z Pass works from Maine through Kentucky, showing that interconnected tolling systems are possible.
E-Z Pass works because the municipalities as well as the states agreed to abide by the same rules. However, different states have different rules. For example, Florida may have limits on how low a person’s account can go before the tag is considered delinquent.
Why should this matter to the average driver, who doesn’t travel cross country? Our roads are populated by other vehicles: busses, trucks, and commercial vehicles that may have to carry dozens of transponders. Tired bus or truck drivers can easily get confused while passing through toll booths. Am I in a municipality where I need to stop to pay the toll? Or am I at a booth where I can freely pass? A small mistake can result in devastating crashes. Until the U.S. finds a way to nationalize its tolling system, accidents are likely to keep happening, with truck drivers logging the greatest number of cross-country miles being most at risk.
The Law Offices of Robert Gregg are truck accident lawyers in Dallas, Texas who work with victims who have been impacted by serious crashes. Our firm works closely with victims and their families to help them recover medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages.