Tickets for speeding and distracted driving have more than doubled in Austin since 2024 as the Austin Police Department puts a focus back on traffic enforcement.
That’s according to city data which also shows the number of speeding tickets issued by APD has gone up nearly 200% from 2024 to 2025. Citations for distracted driving during that same time period increased by 156%. Tickets issued for expired registration and driving without car insurance also increased.
These increases come after Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis made it a priority in 2024 to make streets safer by putting more police on patrol and increasing traffic enforcement.
Last summer, Davis announced a reorganization of the department that moved dozens of officers to patrol shifts from specialized units, such as those focused on training.
“It’s important to recognize there are few ways in law enforcement that we can truly save lives, and traffic enforcement is one of those ways,” Davis said.
Traffic enforcement includes watching for speeding, distracted driving, running red lights and driving without car insurance, among other violations.
Refocusing on traffic enforcement
For years, people have taken to social media to complain about chronic speeders on I-35, MoPac and other major roads around Austin. They also complained about a lack of repercussions for those driving dangerously.
Davis acknowledged that traffic enforcement had lagged while the department struggled with staffing, but after some restructuring and the ongoing recruitment efforts, she said APD is in a better position to tackle traffic and other issues.
Now, it appears residents are taking note of the changes.
In a Reddit post, people mentioned being pulled over for not using a turn signal or speeding. Many said it felt like the first time in years that Austin Police issued warnings and citations.
Davis said Austinites can expect to continue to see police on the roads.
She said one of her goals is reinstating the department’s motorcycle unit — officers who are dedicated to traffic enforcement and traffic control tasks like protests.
Davis said the department can also assign officers to areas where crashes, aggressive driving or other traffic concerns happen, similar to what the department did along Ranch Road 2222.
“I think it’s important for people to understand that speeding kills,” Davis said. “And when you are speeding down these roads you gotta take into consideration the other people on the roads.”
Designing safer streets
Rebecca Bernhardt, a longtime member of the Austin’s Public Safety Commission, said she applauds the efforts to make streets safer through traffic enforcement, but worries about the tradeoffs of moving officers from teams that investigate family violence, sexual assault and violent crimes to patrol.
As staffing issues at APD continue, Bernhardt said traffic enforcement is not the only way to reduce the number of people injured or killed in on the roads. Safer street designs can also help, she said, and are the focus of the city’s Vision Zero goals. Those goals include adding more sidewalks, creating protected bike lanes and improving pedestrian crosswalks.
Additionally, Sam Socolow, an auditor for the city, found other speed reduction efforts can be effective.
“Speed cushions are effective at lowering speeds but they are not suitable for all road settings, such as those with higher traffic volumes,” Socolow said. “[Traffic] enforcement is vital in these settings but has remained limited in Austin for the past several years.”