tomorrow on KPRC, 2 at 10.
>> Speeding cars. Dirty looks
even gunshots on Houston’s
busiest roadways. We’re
talking about a road rage. The
drivers who see red and turned
the violin.
>> And that violence has taken the lives of young and old
the lives of young and old
victims. But tonight, KPRC 2
investigates. Mayo Diaz takes
us inside the fight to for prevention and what you can do
prevention and what you can do
to stay safe.
>> Enter any freeway in
violent crime can roll up in
seconds by a band shots being fired left. And right now
fired left. And right now
deadly road rage. The violence
is hard to comprehend. It’s
surreal. What we see happening right now. Quite often the
right now. Quite often the
victim doesn’t see a thing. I
didn’t know it was going on
until a bullet went right past
my head.
>> Marshal Erwin was shot at
unprovoked on the Fort Bend
County Toll Road last November. I thought it was
November. I thought it was
going to die. Irwin is one of
the lucky ones he survived.
Law enforcement experts say
drivers or passengers who pulled trigger from a moving
pulled trigger from a moving
vehicle operate under a
different code. They subscribe
to the code of the streets.
Gregory Freeman is a retired
HPD captain and criminal
justice professor at Sam Houston State. He says
Houston State. He says
violence on the roads is field
by act perceived disrespect.
They feel the need to exact revenge and to them exacting
revenge and to them exacting
revenge is getting the gun and
shooting. What we’re really
focusing on is aggressive
driving behaviors. HPD ramped
up its initiative last July following the death of David
following the death of David
Castro after an Astros game.
11 other agencies, including
the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, task force designed to
Office, task force designed to
prevent road rage and major
thoroughfares. Your tonight,
you’re it and you’re 45 or
that way. Part of the plan for
the task force marked and unmarked units looking for
unmarked units looking for
aggressive behavior, everybody
that we can use to get out
there and get in front of a
bad situation before it occurs
where you before the task force number of road rage
force number of road rage
incidents increased. 29% since
2018. Now HPD reports a 9%
drop in calls for service from the start of the initiative
the start of the initiative
through January 31st of this
year. Harris County says the
76 calls for service in
January. The lowest it’s been
for them. And over year, we
know this is not going to be
the silver bullet. We do think it’s step in the right
it’s step in the right
direction. And in a sign of
the times, a driver’s
attention is now being grabbed with messaging on Highway
with messaging on Highway
Billboards.
>> I think the best sorts of
initiatives are the ones that
are going to be able to use
remind you in the moment.
Essentially positive triggers according to University of
according to University of
Wisconsin, Green Bay Professor
Ryan Martin constant reminders
to people in any format. You
can radio ads, the you know, PSA, those sort of constant
PSA, those sort of constant
reminders are really, really
important.
>> But what if you’re behind
the wheel going after someone
does technology exist to let driver know if they are
driver know if they are
raging. It does facial
recognition software is being
pushed to let driver know when
their actions are out of the
norm. But let’s say you’re the passenger and the person
passenger and the person
beside you is out of control.
What can you do in that
situation that? Yeah, that’s a
great question. I think
sometimes actually just
telling them that you don’t feel safe.
feel safe.
>> In that moment is a little
different than saying relax or
calm down.
>> For those of the other
vehicle victims like Marshal
Erwin, the experience is like
change. I’m just more careful,
more thoughtful. I mean, out
early.
>> Take any rest. Try not to
get on anybody’s do anything
stupid. But the memory is not
far from his rearview mirror.
When somebody like cuts may
offer like slams on the brakes
in front of me or something
like that, I’m just like, oh,
my God, something’s going to ♪
♪ >> you?
>> you?
>> The following You want all
Yeah. Don’t stare right in