Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Shawn from Nederland asks- Officer Antoine I enjoy reading your column weekly. I have a niece from Louisiana that’s living with us temporarily, she is short in stature well under 5ft. So when she drives she has to put her seatbelt under her arm out so the belt won’t be across her face. I always encourage her to wear her seatbelt but just the other day I was discussing seatbelt usage with a friend and he said you told them in a class that wearing the seatbelt underneath the arm is illegal…

Is this true?

 

Answer- Good question Shawn, Thank your friend for his intervention because he is correct about your niece incorrectly wearing her seatbelt. I love using the term “if you don’t wear the seatbelt right you don’t have it on at all.” Shawn the state of Texas don’t allow anyone to alter the correct usage of a safety belt because when they test the safety belt for its maximum protection for drivers and passengers the belt are on correctly. So the state of Texas cannot and will not condone the improper wearing of safety belts. Shawn let your niece know she could be stopped and cited for not having a seatbelt if she wears it under her arm. Seatbelts save lives buckle up every time. Not properly bucking up your safety restraints is the same as not buckling them at all. Keep in mind 66% of fatal crashes when the investigation is completed are found not secured by the safety system ( NO SEATBELT).

 

Paula from Port Arthur asks- Officer Antoine thanks for all you do to inform our community via newspaper and radio to keep us safe on the roads. I have a daughter that has a condition –  it’s called her cellphone – she often sleeps with her cell phone in her hand and she’s admitted to texting while driving. I must admit it upsets me because I am constantly finding drivers like my daughter texting while driving on the roads which I believe is a very irresponsible and dangerous act to partake in while behind the wheel of any motorists vehicle. I’m aware that in Texas it’s now illegal to text while driving, what exactly is the fine for texting while driving and can someone be arrested for texting while driving?

 

Answer- Good question Paula. You are so correct to state the danger involved with texting while driving on the roads of Texas or any road in this matter. Paula, texting while driving is the most dangerous act to partake in while driving other than sleeping while driving. If that didn’t shake you. Paula you asked about the fine involving texting while a fine between $25 to $99, although penalties could be as much as $200 for being convicted prior for texting while driving. Paula it gets even steeper if you cause injury or death because of texting while driving the fine can range up to $4,000 and up to a 1 year jail sentence. And if that’s not enough to get all of us to put the phone down, numbers don’t lie. It’s been reported that in U.S.A  2023, 3,521 people were killed, and 369,415 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers along with a $98.2 billion dollar price tag. Texting while driving is illegal and deadly, stay alive, don’t text and drive. P.S Hey Paula that goes for checking social media accounts, looking at pictures, opening different apps that would cause a distraction while driving with a cellphone in your hand. Simply stated… put your cellphone down and just drive.

 

Mary from Port Neches asks- Officer Antoine I know many people talk about you as a mean cop, but since I attended your Drive Safe class several years ago at Hebert’s Driving Academy you are the coolest police officer I’ve ever met. I say that with conviction because I actually have family members who are police officers. Officer Antoine I have great neighbors but they always seem to have a lot of company at their house, which makes exiting my driveway difficult. Is it illegal to park a vehicle directly across the street from my driveway, and if I hit the vehicle who is at fault? Thanks for your time sir.

 

Answer- Good question Mary. Your comments are sobering and a constant reminder that what we do as police officers matter. Mary, sometimes in law enforcement we want to see the effect we have on the masses, when we do better service when we affect one at a time like yourself Mary. The road that’s located on the end of your driveway will be the city of Port Neches property and it doesn’t belong to you, not any homeowner. Mary as long as no vehicle is parked blocking the entrance or exiting of your driveway there is nothing legally you can do. You can not stop someone from parking on the street unless they’re illegally parked. Parking on the opposite side of the road is not illegal parking. Even if someone leaves a car in front of your house and walks away, if the vehicle is legally parked even if you call the police they won’t be able to move the vehicle . We understand that no one cares for a strange vehicle parked in front of their home, but you must remember the street belongs to someone else. you are welcome to report to your police department an unfamiliar vehicle in front of your house, but if the vehicle checks out OK nothing further will be done.

Join Me, Officer Antoine and the CREW Stephen “Buzzard Boots” Mosley, Lelo “mouth of Hwy 69/73” I Washington & Tejas “Lil Man”Morning Star for Ask A Cop live, on KSAP 96.9 FM The Breeze radio station, every Tuesday for 1 hour from 1 to 3 p.m. Tune in and listen as Officer Antoine discusses in detail the newly released “Ask A Cop” article that’s printed in The News. You can also tune in via the internet www.ksap969thebreeze.org. Feel free to call in and ask your question live to Officer Antoine at (409) 982-0247. *Now Ask A Cop is printed weekly in El Perico Hispanic Newspaper and weekly broadcast every Tuesday at 4:30p-5pm on Hispanic radio station KVAP-LP 95.5fm. Remember to email your questions to rickey.antoine@portarthurtx.gov, or call 409-983-8673 and leave a voice mail question, or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine,645 4th Street, Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public you can approach and “Ask A Cop.”