HOUSTON – The Texas Department of Public Safety is stepping up traffic enforcement beginning Saturday and lasting through Tuesday, July 4.
As many Texans will be celebrating independence, a lot of them will be using the roadways, traveling to and from Houston to do so. Law enforcement wants to ensure everyone gets to their destination safely.
This means troopers will be putting an extra emphasis on nabbing drunk drivers, people speeding and folks who violate the seatbelt law.
"Alcohol consumption is always a concern this time of year, and motorists should take this into consideration when driving over the holiday weekend," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "DPS and other law enforcement agencies will be out in force looking for impaired drivers and traffic violators. If you consume alcohol, there is no excuse for not planning ahead for alternate transportation or designating a sober driver."
"During the 2016 Fourth of July enforcement period, DPS Troopers issued more than 85,267 tickets and warnings, including 1,372 seat belt and child safety restraint citations. DPS enforcement efforts also resulted in 601 DWI arrests, 322 fugitive arrests and 267 felony arrests," DPS said in a press release.
In all of 2016, 987 people were killed in crashes on Texas roadways and 26% of those fatalities were related to drunk drivers, according the Texas Department of Transportation.
Make sure to plan ahead: have a designated driver, take Uber, Lyft or a Taxi. Also take a peek at the weather forecast before driving and remember to buckle up.