“If we’ve done our job, someone makes it home safely—and they never even know we were there.”
That’s how Eric Hemphill, Director of Traffic and Incident Management at the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), describes the work he and his team do every day. In this thoughtful conversation for IBTTA’s Global Road Safety Week, Hemphill shares what drives him—not just professionally, but personally.
What starts as a discussion of wrong-way driving quickly becomes something deeper: a look at how safety professionals quietly save lives, often without recognition, and why that mission means more to Eric now than ever.
Since 2009, NTTA has been on the front lines of fighting wrong-way crashes—among the deadliest types on any road. Eric walks through the evolution of their system: from software that detects wrong-way movements using tolling loops, to thermal cameras, to dynamic message signs and real-time coordination with law enforcement and local cities. Each layer is backed by data, intention, and urgency.
But what really stands out is Eric’s perspective. Over the years, he says, his work has shifted from numbers to people. “Every crash stat is a life disrupted. Someone who may never walk again. A family getting the worst call of their lives. I think about that now more than ever.”
He also talks about stubborn optimism—his refusal to accept that drunk or impaired driving is inevitable—and his belief in technologies that can prevent tragedy before it begins. From connected vehicles and rideshare services to the human-centered systems inside NTTA’s 24/7 control room, Hemphill sees every tool as part of a bigger goal: keeping people safe, even when they don’t realize they’re at risk.
Watch the full interview with Eric Hemphill and hear how empathy, innovation, and a behind-the-scenes mindset are helping prevent the worst-case scenarios.