Lake Texoma is always a favorite place to be at during the summer months. The popularity of Lake Texoma has spread all over the United States and people that aren’t native to this region have either moved here to retire or own a summer lake house.

This makes the population and the amount of vehicles on the roadways around Lake Texoma grow tremendously during this time of year.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Traffic Engineering Division, Collision Analysis and Safety Branch during the dates 01-01-2012 through 06-30-2012 for area of US 70 West from the Durant City Limits to the Roosevelt Bridge there were 23 vehicle crashes resulting in 11 people being injured. Out of these 23 vehicle crashes, 17 occurred in the daylight hours (mid-morning/afternoon) and 13 during clear weather conditions.

The main causes to these crashes were found to be improper turns and unsafe speed. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol would like to remind the motoring public that from Leavenworth Trail Road to approximately 1/4 mile east of Ranchette Road on US 70, the posted speed limit is 55 mph.

There is a higher potential for an increased amount of vehicle crashes in this area due to the terrain and layout of the land. This stretch of highway has several hill crests making it hard to see when another vehicle is traveling from a private drive, which there are several, onto US 70. These factors, along with unsafe speed, make a deadly combination that requires the full-time and attention of the person driving a vehicle to avoid having a vehicle crash.

In the event that a person is involved in a minor vehicle crash, the safest thing they can do is to clear the roadway as soon as possible. The exact location of the first impact in a vehicle crash is not critical enough of information to justify having a secondary crash due to the roadway being blocked.

According to Oklahoma Statutes, Title 47:10-102.A (Accidents Resulting in Nonfatal Injury) and Oklahoma Statutes, Title 47: 10-103 (Accidents Involving Damage to Vehicle), the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident …. Every such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 30 percent of all motor vehicle crashes occur as the result of another crash. This is a percentage that can be easily lowered if people will move their vehicles out of the roadway, when involved in a minor accident. Not only does this help in keeping down the chance of a secondary crash, it also provides a safer area for First Responders, Police Officers, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Personnel to work in.

When vehicles are traveling on a road, street, or highway and they have to come to a sudden stop due to a crash blocking any portion of the roadway, all people at that scene are in great danger of being injured by these vehicles.

Please help the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to make the roads, streets, and highways a safer place to travel. If you are in need of assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, fill free to call (580) 924-2601 for non-emergency situations. If you are traveling throughout the state of Oklahoma, you can still reach the locally based Oklahoma Highway Patrol Headquarters for that area by dialing *55 on your cell phone. To read or just view the complete Motor Vehicle Laws of the state of Oklahoma as well as other laws, visit www.oscn.net.