"Mattress Mack" Joining Mayor Parker to Promote Safe Driving - Kingwood

Local business icon Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale today announced he was teaming with Houston Mayor Annise  Parker and at least 11 Houston City Council Members to promote safe driving and raise awareness of the effectiveness of the city’s intersection safety camera program through a new organization called Keep Houston Safe.

City leaders joining Mayor Parker today in endorsing Keep Houston Safe are:  Mayor Pro Tem Anne Clutterbuck (District C), Vice Mayor Pro Tem Ed Gonzalez (District H), and Council Members Wanda Adams (District D), Stephen C. Costello (At Large Position 1), Al Hoang (District F), Jarvis Johnson (District B), Sue Lovell (At Large Position 2), Melissa Noriega (At Large Position 3), Oliver Pennington (District G), James G. Rodriguez (District I) and Brenda Stardig (District A).

Mayor Parker thanked McIngvale and praised Keep Houston Safe, saying:  “The evidence clearly suggests that intersection safety cameras make Houston safer by reducing the number of people who run red lights — and that, in turn, reduces side-impact collisions and injuries.  Intersection safety cameras also allow our police force to devote more resources to fighting crime, while the revenues generated from those who run red lights have boosted our traffic safety programs in school zones, helped fighting drunk driving, increased pedestrian and bicyclist safety programs, and more.”

McIngvale, who is also working with the Houston Police Department to use camera technology to help fight neighborhood crime in West Houston, said he wanted to see first responders like Houston’s police officers have the best technology possible to keep his fellow Houstonians safe.

“We live in the greatest city on earth, and like so many people I believe it is vitally important that Houstonians have the best technology helping us keep people safe while also respecting the rights of our citizens and maximizing the effectiveness of our police force,” McIngvale said.   “Recent statistics show that Houston’s intersection safety camera program is good public policy.  Now, we need to figure out how to strengthen this vital program — so we can continue improving driver safety and saving lives.”

ABOUT KEEP HOUSTON SAFE

Keep Houston Safe is a special purpose committee formed to help promote safe driving and strengthen the intersection safety camera program that the City of Houston implemented in Fiscal Year 2007.  For more information, please go to www.keephoustonsafe.com.