KYLE, Texas -- Charles Laws' life changed forever in 2005 when his 23-year-old daughter Sarah and friend, Julie Self, were killed in a car crash on Interstate 10 near Leon Springs.

Laws said he believes the incident was caused by road rage, which prompted Laws to seek tougher state laws regarding aggressive driving and road rage.

"The frustration and reason for the push started from the day she died," said Laws.

His daughter and her friend were traveling to Boerne to volunteer at the annual Berges Fest on the day of the crash. Laws said a second driver, a 51-year-old woman, was suspected of causing the accident.

"In a written deposition, she admitted to being angry, in a hurry and admitted to tailgating," said Laws.

Laws believes the 51-year-old driver became angry with Self, who was driving at the time, and pulled in front of the girls' car, forcing the vehicle to go out of control and slam head-on into oncoming traffic on Interstate 10. The 51-year-old driver was never charged, but Laws maintained it was road rage.

The family's van became a fixture along the interstate, near the site of the accident, for weeks. On the van was a large banner with his daughter's picture on it with the message "road rage killed my daughter." According to Laws, road rage has been the No. 1 traffic safety menace and growing for the past 10 years.

His emotional mission soon got the attention of state Sen. Jeff Wentworth.

"You never want to lose a child, and you certainly don't want to lose them to this kind of situation," said Wentworth, who co-authored state bill 1389.

The measure would have raised the punishment for reckless driving, especially in "road rage" cases, to 60 days in jail, along with driver's license suspension for at least 30 days. Drivers also would be forced to go to undergo educational courses that would show how not to engage in road rage. The bill almost passed in the last legislative session in Austin when it passed through the Senate, but the bill died when political bickering occurred between the Senate and House. Wentworth said he is confident it will pass in the next session.

In the meantime, Laws continues his push to stomp out road rage by educating drivers about the dangers and consequences of aggressive driving. He said he does it not only for himself, but in memory of Sarah.

"This is my way of staying connected to Sarah and to try to raise awareness." Laws said.

The Clary Foundation is a nonprofit organization in memory of Sarah dedicated to educating others about the dangers of road rage. Laws said his priorities have changed and, once he retires, he plans to work full-time teaching others about the consequences of road rage by working with the Texas Department of Public Safety, along with various counties and traffic safety groups. Raising awareness with billboards, speaking engagements and public service announcements will be the next step for Laws.

He hopes by doing this, it will help the measure pass next time it goes before state lawmakers in a couple of years. It's a lifelong mission for Laws.

"A family should not have to go through what we've gone through for four years," said Charles Laws. "This is my passion."