Texas Department Of Public Safety To Boost Road Presence To Curb Labor Day Drunk Driving

AUSTIN, TX -- Starting Friday, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will be out on the roads in full force, seeking motorists "...who disregard traffic laws, including impaired drivers, speeders and safety belt violators," officials said.

The real aim, is drunken drivers. Long holiday weekends such as the upcoming Labor Day period tend to promote alcohol consumption, and some motorists get behind the wheel despite their intoxication. With that in mind, DPS troops will join law enforcement from across the state in ridding the roadways of impaired drivers, officials said.

"Texans are killed on our roadways every day because of reckless drivers who get behind the wheel after drinking, and DPS works around-the-clock to help prevent these tragedies," DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a prepared statement. "During the Labor Day weekend, Troopers will be on the lookout for impaired and dangerous drivers, and we are urging drivers to do their part by strictly obeying traffic laws and finding alternative transportation if they plan to drink."

During last year's Labor Day holiday enforcement period, DPS Troopers made 488 DWI arrests, and issued 8,515 speeding citations, 1,091 seat belt/child safety seat citations and 1,062 no insurance citations, DPS officials said. Additionally, troopers made 278 fugitive arrests and 224 felony arrests.

In its perennial reminder to motorists, DPS offered the following tips for safe travel during the Labor Day holiday:

• Don't drink and drive – designate a driver or take a cab.
• Eliminate distractions, including the usage of mobile devices.
• Buckle up everyone in the vehicle – it's the law.
• Slow down – especially in bad weather, construction areas and heavy traffic.
• Slow down or move over for police, fire and EMS vehicles as well as tow trucks and TxDOT vehicles stopped on the side of the road with emergency lights activated – it's the law. (When you see a fellow motorist on the side of the road, slow down or move over a lane for them too, if it is safe to do so.)
• Don't drive fatigued.
• Drive defensively, as holiday travel may present additional challenges.
• Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained before your trip begins.

A recently released study by the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows Texas has made a dent in terms of curbing drunk driving -- even while the scourge has increased elsewhere in the country.

Yet in sheer numbers, Texas led the nation in such deaths, with considerable carnage. Only California comes close to Texas, with 3,102 traffic deaths in 2014 compared to Texas' 3,526. Last year, California recorded 3,176 traffic deaths to Texas' 3,516.

From 2014 to 2015, there were 20 fewer overall traffic fatalities in Texas, a 0.06 percent drop. In terms of alcohol-related traffic deaths, there were 123 fewer last year -- from 1,446 in 2014 to 1,323. Nationwide, traffic deaths resulting from drivers who were under the influence of alcohol increased by 3.2 percent, from 9,943 to 10,265.

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