The Texas Department of Transportation will launch its annual “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” campaign July 18, pairing a statewide public awareness effort with increased speed enforcement by law enforcement agencies.
The annual enforcement campaign comes as speed-related crashes continue to claim hundreds of lives across Texas each year. TxDOT says the initiative combines increased patrols with public education to encourage drivers to slow down and help prevent serious crashes.
From July 18 to Aug. 3, TxDOT will conduct Operation Slowdown, which includes increased patrols to stop drivers who are speeding or “driving too fast for conditions.”
The TxDOT campaign features the story of Shaundi Smallwood, 19, who was killed in a nighttime crash March 15, 2022, on Interstate 20 in Fort Worth. Three other passengers in the vehicle suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and third-degree burns.
“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my son and how much I love him and miss him,” said Stephenie Smallwood, Shaundi’s mother, in a press release. “You just can’t fill the hole in your heart when you lose a child. I’m participating in this speeding awareness campaign because I don’t want another family to go through the pain that my family and I have endured.”
Last year, TxDOT reported that 1,247 people died in speed-related crashes in Texas.