DPS Tips on How to Travel Safe This Holiday Season

SAN ANGELO, TX – The Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) is encouraging everybody to finish 2021 safely as they head out on the street for the vacations. The Texas Freeway Patrol will conduct its annual Christmas and New Yr’s vacation visitors enforcement campaigns starting Dec. 23, in search of people who find themselves dashing, not carrying their seat belts, driving whereas intoxicated or committing different visitors violations. 

“It’s all the time good to have a good time the vacations with family and friends, however please maintain the well-being of different vacationers on the forefront of your thoughts as you head out,” mentioned DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Troopers can be defending the general public on the roads, however we rely on different drivers to do their half, as effectively, so everybody can have a protected and completely satisfied vacation.”

The Freeway Patrol will enhance enforcement as a part of two initiatives: The nationwide Operation CARE (Crash Consciousness and Discount Effort), which runs from Dec. 23 by Jan. 2, in addition to Operation Vacation, which runs concurrently from Dec. 24 by Dec. 26

Throughout DPS’ 2020 Christmas and New Yr’s enforcement efforts, there have been 116,810 citations and warnings issued. This included 14,499 dashing citations; 1,636 seat belt and little one seat violations; 2,625 citations for driving with out insurance coverage; and 820 citations and warnings for Transfer Over, Sluggish Down violations. As well as, final 12 months’s enforcement efforts resulted in 1,185 felony arrests, 615 DWI arrests and 355 fugitives arrested.

DPS provides the next suggestions for making the vacation season a protected one:

• Don’t drink and drive. Make alternate plans in case you are consuming alcohol.
• Transfer Over or Sluggish Down for police, hearth, EMS, Texas Division of Transportation (TxDOT) autos and tow vans stopped on the aspect of the street with emergency lights activated. Present the identical courtesy to different drivers who’re stopped on the aspect of the street. This 12 months alone, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 14, DPS issued 12,060 warnings and citations for Transfer Over, Sluggish Down violations.
• Buckle up everybody within the car, it’s the regulation.
• Decelerate, particularly in unhealthy climate, heavy visitors, unfamiliar areas or development zones.
• Get rid of distractions whereas driving, together with the usage of cellular gadgets. Texas regulation prohibits the usage of transportable wi-fi gadgets to learn, write or ship an electronic mail except the car is stopped. When you’re utilizing a navigation gadget or app, have a passenger handle it, so you possibly can maintain your eyes on the street.
• Drive defensively, as vacation journey can current further challenges.
• Don’t drive fatigued — enable loads of time to succeed in your vacation spot.
• On multi-lane roads, use the left lane for passing solely. Not solely is it courteous driving and avoids impeding visitors, Texas regulation requires slower visitors to maintain to the proper and use the left lane for passing solely (when posted).
• When you can Steer It, Clear It: If you’re concerned in a non-injury crash and your car might be moved, clear the visitors lanes to reduce visitors impression. Leaving autos in a visitors lane will increase visitors congestion and leaves these concerned with an elevated danger of hurt or a secondary wreck. On some highways, in case you don’t transfer your car when it’s protected to take action, it’s unlawful.
• Verify your car to verify it’s correctly maintained and all the time guarantee your cargo is safe.
• Preserve the Texas Roadside Help quantity saved in your cellphone. Dial 1-800-525-5555 for any kind of roadside help. The quantity can be discovered on the again of a Texas Driver License. 
• Report street hazards or something suspicious to the closest regulation enforcement company.
• Monitor climate and street circumstances wherever you might be touring. For street circumstances and closures in Texas, go to Drive Texas.