Carrollton Earns Municipal Traffic Safety Trailblazer Award

The City of Carrollton received the 2026 Municipal Traffic Safety Initiatives (MTSI) Trailblazer Award in April from the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC).

The Trailblazer Award is presented to one city across the state for the most innovative traffic safety initiative, recognizing outstanding accomplishments in traffic safety and impaired driving prevention. The award is part of TMCEC's annual MTSI grant competition funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

"We are extremely proud to have won this and previous MTSI awards," Presiding Carrollton Municipal Court Judge Meredith Lyon said. "Our court staff works diligently to educate the community on the dangers of impaired driving and ensures materials are age-appropriate for both children and parents, and our activity for Carrollton's Future Public Employee Day was definitely a hit among kids of all ages."

While Carrollton's Municipal Court engaged in numerous, high-impact safety initiatives in 2025, MTSI reported the activity for the City's Future Public Employee Day was truly deserving of the 2026 Trailblazer Award.

For the day's demonstration, Court staff transformed the community meeting room into a comprehensive traffic safety experience based on the Disney Pixar Cars' franchise. After crafting homemade Cars character figures, employees helped child participants navigate a mock traffic course based on the little town of Radiator Springs where "drivers" could learn in real time about pedestrian, bicycle, and roadway safety. Among the course's features were an impairment beanbag toss game and traffic sign trivia. At the finish line, participants spun the wheel to win various traffic-safety school supplies, safety materials, and age-appropriate educational resources.

"Building a safer community is a shared responsibility," Juvenile Case Manager Kristen Conner said. "Providing families with tools to talk to their children about drugs, alcohol, and traffic safety is a meaningful service, and our team feels very fortunate to be able to offer these materials at no charge."

The team regularly distributes free educational materials from TMCEC and national organizations, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and TxDOT, maximizing community impact while minimizing costs. Partnering with Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District has helped extend outreach to schools and community events as well.

"Municipal Court's Traffic Safety team works tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and alcohol on driving ability," Court Administrator Cristina Rodriguez said. "Their efforts have a lasting impact on our community, and we're glad the kids seemed to find the Radiator Springs experience a fun-filled, memorable activity."

Award recipients were recognized at TMCEC's Municipal Traffic Safety Initiatives Conference in April.

For more information about the Carrollton Municipal Court, call 972-466-3348 or visit the Municipal Court's webpage.