Hon. Hoher Qarrlson, Jr., Dlrqcfor
Texas Bepartmeut of Public Safety
Austin; Texall
,.’
o~plniop no. v-1449
Re: Several questions relating
t6 &iii T&x&tiMotor’Vehlcle
Dear CpOl. Qa*lsbp : Safety-~espptllslbi~Lty ‘AM’.
Your req~es$
. ior an cpiipn of thl$ office
states:
“Ai%lele Izz; Sectlpn 4, ai the, &it&l
A& reijuuirelr a reprt to’ by lnade .by 1the _
op6r&t6@ of eyery pbtor y&iole,’ which +Ie’~ln
say mapner lp’vqli-ed In a\i aci$detit althln
thie’ State $i~ ehlch any pereoti Is killid br”-~*
lnjuy6dd’ or lti which certald bp’eclfled property
damage Pc%urs.
?The term ‘accident’ la n?t defined in
the Act. What do&i atl used in the
.Act mean? ‘Wit an under the Aot,
when a vehicle on privatgly’owned property;
and not on i ‘highway,’ +B lneo$ved la an act
&e w@ia,& death cir’bodily, Injury Ia stif@i?e~
by &o&e,peM6h; 6~ ‘frhb& ;,#tif’$c+ljt @o&%rtg
d.ahgC result@?
“Doe8 an ~accld~nt~ $@e .place’ wh@ti come
pastie’tiger ,,.of~.:a,vehicle @uddetil$ f&lle ylth re-
bultant’~lajrirlee *hea th#* le’ no collielon’~
with auathe’ti ~vehlole, br with ‘a edebtrlah,
or wi$h ec@e fixed eb jeq$?’ ‘*oU Ed an &c&ldeut
report be 5eq ‘lred o$ th@,~qperator of a bp@
operated unde8’d city ir)@#hlee wheb a person
falls from thQ bus as lt’@lo~ds pa?eeqgetia?
.. . .
Eon. Homer Qarrlaon, Jr., pa& 2 (V-1440)
"II.
"Art. III; Sectlop 11, of the cited Aq.t pro-
vide8:
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. .
3ion. Homr Oarrifion, Jr., page 3 (.'q7$+40)~
drliars’ who ‘an
alW p*opei*y aid
ths dahages thus caumd, . ? .~
I? ,a motor ‘vehicle 1s lsvblv~d~ da an aeeldent In
which ‘imy p&son is kill&d br, inred e*.,wMjih resul$s la
dsmage’to pra&q over a cbrtala ~lfled amount; the’
operator ie required to make,a wi;itT’en’rdptirt td the De-
part,#Witof Public Sa?ety. Upon fall- to abet:certain
dtqtilrempnts’; the pliivlle8.e 4?; @d*&*Qg Or regUterlng
motor iehloles~wil~ ‘bd su@eh&d’~ jm$d&,,iiUd ,+xi~)$l &ei
cpib*a$er or kiner Of tp mo*b* T+$ia+b ft$Slp+~~~ p??? Of
?iqano*al y8ponsl~ilitJ.
It ir not
Hon. ?omer Garrison, Jr., page 4 (V-1440) -., :
thlm State. Llkqw$sei Actlcle 66&?1, v&.9., requires a
llcehlli as anYoperator, a oa~rcl+l operatoF,,or a
chau??eti on&y for, operation of a motor vehicle upon a
hlghway In this State.
The term "highway" .ls defined In Seetlon 1 of
Artlole 6701h as ,?ol+w?:
"'Highway' means the entire width bktweea
proprey llae8 OS any roaf$, street,,why,
thorough?a,re, or bridge ltr the State of Texas
not privately owned or coatroll@, when any-
par? thereof 18 open to the public for vehlc-
ular tra??lc atid ov& whltih the State h&s
l~glslal$ve jurlsdlat~~o under lts'polltie
*ow+." I
Article 67Olh does not ~pecl?,lc~lly llk.t,"aecl-
dents" to th&e ooour*ing oi hlghwayb btik; In iiieti Q? $he
.geneal purpose and uehem o? the acti, It ls.ye+i#onable--
to asiume that the Leglrl@turb Intended to require a re-
potit and to make appllaable the r+ultant quapension o?-
the e$ollege$ only.l? @? re,cl@q~t.?eou@ed .on' a "hlghi
way"'a#~a$ torti ls:de?$ned @er+in."To r$quir+‘an
oti&+tdk of's m~t~r'vehl~le Involved In an +ocldebt which
oca~s:dn ppbperty $hp,t ib privstely own@ of'i@titrolled~ --
to cOmplg‘fr$tW t@d tiot wquld ve iacoasQ&sht'w+th th&.&en-'
er8l'P~brrs,'b?',the'ICexar Ilotbi V&hlcl& Sa@tg-Re@$~U<y
Act BIlnd$cated ln~the'$&~tibi Bbd-~ePa-';en~~--~lause
Te ;...i . -._.-L
irt& Ljitiifid th6'Sfdf#1mL@66iP6 91th iiiohof.
r vehicle op%k-
Mona $b+nd ~ti&$illlng c~ncep$s of the public interest.
~We'are gAvlMd @at the Dqparte'nt o? Public
Sa?e$y has hot iwquli& the aoeldeii$ repokts x+ovlded~?or~
by..@tlbles 6687b and 67016, V.C.S.; unles'p the~accident
ocdun on a highway. The wording .la those. statute8 which
reQuir&r the illing of a,report l?'a vehicle Is Involved
la am accldent~lr similar to that In the Texas Wtor.Vehlcle
Shaft-~e~p~~~lblllty'Aot. We *a of the oplhlo4 that .the
sad~eollatrt&ion should'be made as to the lat+ act.
"_.
You,&e achordlBgly a&Is&d tha$ itml&:o.uk ?pln-
Ion $ha$ in a&Id& tip&& %s;,no$ $eqklr+d ~igdrder ~tlele
67OJh;,VT&S., unless the acoldest bcaurs tin a~:hislptlay,
as mt.t@zm Is defined l?y thk act.
IO $0~ request you set out several examples of
sltuatloas In tihioh a ph~aon rece$v@s Injuries and you
ark whether they @re nac~ldents" within the.meaning of the
. .
_
Hon. Homer QarMson, Jr.; page.5 (V-1440) ~" "
act. The act does not reqolxy ‘a colllslon with anb$her
vehicle, a pede&rlan, or soms,?ized objebt ia horder
for It to began "accident." ‘It~:would ‘de ~lmpo’dllble to
cover every situation that would be an “acc$d&nt,” but
generally speaking we word “accident? Is a’general tern
descriptive of an unusual, extraordinary; or unexpected
event. gee Barroa v. Texas Employers’Ins. Aea!n, 36
S.W.26 464 ('Pex:Comm. App; 1931)~ dl dr
6701h, It means every such event ;hi% %i$ $mtsE
so081 Injury, death, or property dam&e of,tM preecrlbed
amount, when a motor vehicle 1s’“ln any manWr involved.*
See Sec. 4; Art. 6701h, V.C.S.’
Your second question eoncerns~the typ6 of ln-
formation to be furnished by the Departmentof Public
Metp.upop requeljt and wheth~~'the$e'le'a C,sn?llct In
th;sa:;gar$l p&teen Section ll,,fnd Secttons 3~9d 36 of
.
Artlele 6701h, Section 11; V.C.S;, &ovldes:
,"Helther the repor% nqulred by Section
4, the’actlon taken by We Department @Muant
to this Article, the findings, l.? any, Of’@e
Department upon which such action Is based, --
nor the security ill&d a&provided ln~@ilB,@-
title &all b&- referred to”’I%“airjr biiij+,“,tii~
._ -__. _.-be,
aiQ eirldi%iitie~o?'th& n&,gllgeiG2e~ijr due csre,o?
either party, at the trial of any action at
law to ncover damages.”
Section 3 of that article reads:
"The Department shall, upon %equedt apd
receipt of proper fees, furnish auf person a
certl?led'abstract o?.the operating record of
any pereoo subject to the provlalons~ or this ~,
Act; which abstract shall also fully desigti8+2
the mote vehicles, I? any,' registered ,ITI the
name of such person, and, I? there shall’& ~%o
record of any cqnvlctlon o? such person o?.vlo-
latlag any l&w relating to the operation o? a
motor vehicle or of any injury or damsge cauqd
by euch pyon, the Department shall; !o certl??‘.”
Sebtlon 36 provldCs a8 ?ollows: .,.
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“.. -
Hon. Homer GazMso)o11,Jr., page, 6 (V-14@) .’
“All fees and &&-gee required by this
Act’shall be remitted without deduction to
the Department at Austin, ‘Texas, gnd all such
?&es so colle,cted shall be deposited In the
Ti%?aeury of the State of Texas to the credit
o? ,the Operator! s and Chauffeur’ 8 License Fund
established under Artlala 6687a, Texas Revised
Civil Statutes. In addition to statutory re:.,,.
cord1 fees of county clerks required In Sec-
tion “ 2& , any flllug with, certification or
notlce to.the Department In compllance’wlth
any of .+he provisions of this Act, or request.
?or~~certl?led abstract of operating record re-
quired In Sect,lo~n 3, except report of accident
required In Section 4, shall be accompanied by
a ?ee o? Five Dollars ($5) for each tranaac-’
tion. Statutory fees req,uired by the State
Highway Department In furlllshlag certl?l$d . . : “.
abetracts or In Mmnectlon with euspemlon
of regletratlons, or such statutory ieea whfch
shall become due the State Treasurer for I&
nuance of certl? lcates of ..d?posits required
~ln SCctioa 25; shall ‘be Fe+tted irom such
Fund.” ‘_ ;:i~‘~
We are of the opinion that there Is’ DO conflict
between the above-quoted provls$oizs. ~fhiiLe$ilature ob-
viously Intended that the Department fumlsh the lniorm-
tlon provided for In Section 3 upon request and. receipt
of proper ~fees. Ev1r1 though the ln?omtlon may not be
used In the trial of an action to recover damages, the mat-
ters referred to. are not con?ldentlal. The provisions of
Sectlons 39 and 42 o?~Artlcle 6687b, V.C.S., and of Sec-
tions 44 through 49 of Article 670ld, V.C.S., rePerred to
In your letter, provide that acaldent reports made In com-
pliance therewith are confidential except for certain
apeCl?lgd ~lniormatlon. The Texas Motor Vehicle Safety- ,:,
Responsibility Act creates an exception to the ~above stat-
utes as to “operat lng records” and makes It the duty of
the Department to ~furnlsh the ln?ormatlon upon,.‘proper re-
quest and payment of fees.
you dare therefore advised. that, upon request and
receipt of proper fees, you should f~wnlsh any person a
certified abstract o? the operating record of any person
subject to the provlslons of the act. This abstract should
designate the inotor vehlales, I? any, registered in the
nams of the person and also should contain the record of
any conviction o? such person of violating any law relat-
ing to the operation of a motor vehicle or o? any Injury \
. .
,. -
or damage caused by auah p*abn. Wo are unable t0’rgad
anythbiu in thlcl aot which would alitbotilse th@ De&t-
action taken by the Depertmat,, f&e t$pb,&ad '$aouat Of
aysu-it7 .iiled, and my othm hatter In, .lta @&#eaaion
by reaaon of a peraon’a complignei~tlth thW@Wv%Llabna
of thia.aot.. , .."
hi YOUR-third quertiorr;'.you r&rt'ioroM
tion r&rdlng 'the dlap?#itlon oi ieer r'equlred '%y -the
act aad the armo+it to M,rbPltm to ~tWdqapt+nta
aamd in Se,c~loa 36 of Artlole ‘$Wlli, ‘V.t++ t’.‘.:
10 anbwer ~to your 8peolfiC ~queatiO~*, you are
aflvi88d that the Legialature'friled'td'aet the.:amount-~,
of the fee-to ~b8 'r&n%tted to the State Hlghwiy Depart- .-
mant'?or~th# work done by that Depart&W when ~eglatr&-
tloti@ ari: auapended and to thp State?E~@rurqr.?or Iti+
aulng a certlf$cate oPdepo#it a8 reqqlred tn&ction
e'q? the act. 'In the abaepod~~oi. thle "atetcitozlp fee,"
the State Highway ~Departmeot and the:State'I$eqzer are
not entitled to *chive any ~?~t'?~om.:th~, @q.rstor's
iand Chauf?eurva Ligenae FWd. ,. -,.
The Leglalat~e aleo failed to proflda"a "&at-
'IWry fee" ~t.0 be’ Paid the Stat8 Hlghliay DOpll?tybt for,
furnlahlng oertlfled +batracte dealgnatlng th&mQtoF
vehlolea reglatbed 'In the nama of. tiny perron. aub.ject
to the pro+i~lona of the aat, a@ such De&t&t Se :
thqefore not authorlmd to receives ng ?ee~‘?br Turdlah-
ing th%a material to the Department &f Publia Saietg.--
The8e.;abatracta should contain a summary W'a~@n&lla-
t%on of the eaaeutial aaterlal contained in I230 State
,Hl&way Departmnt'a rebbord, and lt Ii not aioeammy
to fqrni8h photostatlo copier. I? an lodl~ldudl dgairea
photoetata ?or'hla.'prlv~te aae, he can~requetit th8 De-
par+eat to ?urnlah,them and pay the regular feeti that
the'Department la atithorlced $0 charge. H.B. 426,dot8
52p&:Leg.,.l951, dh. 499, Q. 1228, at p. .1433..Seatlon
2 .(a) of Article 6701h, V.C.S.,!authorlrea the Department
of Ptibllo~&fety $0 mke ruler and regulation8 neoeaaary '.
for'the~a&l~Wratlon of the act. Zbe Departmnt, ,%&ore-
?ore,‘&n it8 dlrcretton, may d6mm~ne the mqbt'eooqomioal
manner of greparlng the auterlal to be furnirdrsd'aswell
a8 the information to be oontaford therein 80 long aritr
rulog,do not'oonfllot 01th th8 prorialona of w 8t@tUt8.
I
. . ,.
Hon. liomr Oarri~Qa, Jr.,, page 8 (v-1440) ~:,‘ii.
>I ,;: .I;
An accldmt report ‘ia hot rep&&d by ,.~
the p~otridioias of the llotdr Vehicle Sa?etg.:.
Leap~na~ibilltf Aot (Atit. 67?1h~~,V.C.SI.~ ‘&a- ,’
learn the acizl(lent oc~urb on a..high*ay ?apt
‘that term la derlned Uy the act. A’repoctLc,
I* WquQwd o?,etiery uuuatil, extraor+ary,
or, unexpected ‘event ;ocaurr,ing on a highway.:,
vhere an injury or deaths ie sustained by a: ::
pa%aon~br property La damaged in thb amouh
designated wdea a motor vehicle la In iiny
manner fk~volved .
The Department of Public Safety la,~n&
auiho2Ued to furnlah recpeatltig partleci eq::, :..
m ‘lnfollaatlon from the acoident report
than it la authcNaed to reveal from the re-
port8 rqqulred I$ AHlblea 66&Q and 6701d.,
‘. y1c.s.
Th? Legialaturai railed to, provide a “etnt-
~stolrg ‘fee’! to be zwnltted by the Dejwrtmen$.~or ’
Public Safety to the State ElghwaJiDepartmnt-
?& rwilahing bertiiied abatr~cta af motor
vehiole regiatratioa recorda, .oc to’the Stata
'Treasurer for the iaatin.ee or ~ertiricat.*s~ of
zdepoalt.
;
led WcDaniel pRTCE@IVIE&’
States- Affair8 Division. Attodey Oetieral. “.
E. Jacobson
Bevlew$g Aaala~ant
Charlea’,D. Hathiwa
Firat AUeiBtant
.
WSLtjr0 .'$ .
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