DPS looking for speeders, drunk drivers on Texas highways during Thanksgiving holiday
Here’s a holiday alert from the Texas Department of Public Safety: Let’s be careful on those Texas highways.
If you don’t, there’s a good chance DPS troopers will be there this Thanksgiving holiday.
Starting Wednesday, troopers began increasing enforcement throughout the state as they focus on traffic violators.
In North Texas, troopers will focus on Interstate 20 and Interstate 30, paying close attention to motorists who fail to wear seat belts, speed, drive while intoxicated, or violate the Move Over, Slow Down law.
The ramping up of enforcement by troopers continues until Sunday throughout Texas.
“As we gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, you will play a key role in keeping everyone safe as you travel on our roadways this holiday,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw in a statement released earlier this week. “We urge drivers to celebrate the holiday responsibly by obeying traffic laws and monitoring weather conditions when traveling.”
During the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday, troopers issued more than 74,000 traffic citations and warnings, including 956 seat belt and child safety restraint citations. The enforcement efforts also resulted in 337 DWI arrests, 244 fugitive arrests and 213 felony arrests.
DPS officials offered these safety tips:
▪ Do not drink and drive.
▪ Monitor weather and road conditions.
▪ Before starting your trip, make sure your vehicle is properly maintained and always double check to make sure all cargo is secure.
▪ On multi-lane highways, use the left lane for passing only. Texas law requires slower traffic to keep to the right.
▪ Report any road hazard or if you observe anything suspicious.
▪ Don’t drive fatigued.
▪ Drive defensively.
▪ Buckle up everyone in the vehicle; it’s the law.
▪ Eliminate distractions including mobile devices.
▪ Slow down especially in bad weather, construction areas , heavy traffic and unfamiliar areas.
▪ Move Over or Slow Down for police, fire, EMS, Texas Department of Transportation and tow trucks stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated. As of Oct. 31, troopers had issued 23,611 citations or warnings for violations to the Move Over or Slow Down law in 2019.
▪ If you are involved in a non-injury crash and your vehicle can be moved, clear the traffic lanes to minimize the impact on traffic.
