Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will increase patrols on roads beginning this weekend as part of an annual campaign to keep drivers safe during spring break and St. Patrick's Day.
The Texas Highway Patrol will conduct its Spring Break and St. Patrick's Day traffic enforcement campaign from March 9-17, targeting speeding, seat belt violations, impaired driving and other traffic violations.
Texas Highway Patrol Chief Bryan Rippee said the increased presence is about keeping celebrations safe.
"These are heavy traffic times as people get out to celebrate, but safety must always come first," Rippee said. "Our Troopers will be highly visible across the state, focused on preventing impaired driving, speeding and other dangerous behaviors that put lives at risk. We want everyone to enjoy their time with family and friends — and make it home safely."
KRIS 6 News spoke with DPS Sergeant Rob Mallory, who said speed is the biggest problem they see on our roadways. That's why they want to make sure everyone gets to their destination safely.
"One of the main reasons we see crashes in the state of Texas is for speed," Mallory said. "It's the top contributor to fatal crashes in the state. So you know, we want people to follow that speed limit. It was set there for a reason."
The enforcement effort is part of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Operation CARE — Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort — a North American traffic enforcement initiative running nationwide from March 9-17. The program aims to boost officer presence on interstates and highways across the United States and Canada during high-crash periods. Law enforcement agencies throughout North America collect and report traffic enforcement data through CARE to help raise awareness about efforts to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes.
During last year's Spring Break and St. Patrick's Day enforcement campaign, DPS issued more than 93,232 citations and warnings. That included more than 6,425 speeding violations, 516 seat belt and child seat violations, 2,483 violations for driving without insurance and 552 felony and fugitive arrests.
DPS is reminding drivers to drive sober, obey posted speed limits, buckle up and eliminate distractions behind the wheel. Texans are encouraged to plan ahead, designate a sober driver and make responsible choices throughout the campaign period.
DPS has also created a spring break public service announcement now being shared across its social media platforms.
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