Texas troopers to step up patrols for seat belt, distracted driving violations

FILE – Annual "Click It or Ticket" campaign for seat belt use starts Monday

From November 16th through the 29th, law enforcement will be out patrolling, not only to crack down on the issue but to help save lives, saying there is no excuse to not be wearing a seatbelt

AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Highway Patrol (THP) will soon step up enforcement of seat belt and distracted driving laws.

The annual All-American Enforcement Campaign runs from May 11 to Memorial Day on May 25.

What they're saying:

"Seat belts save lives – it’s that simple," said THP Chief Bryan Rippee. "Buckling up is one of the easiest decisions you can make to protect yourself and your loved ones every time you get on the road."

The THP reminded drivers of Texas’ move-over, slow-down law. It requires drivers traveling roads with multiple lanes going in the same direction to move out of the lane closest to emergency vehicles with lights activated. On two-way roads, drivers must slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit.

Related

article

Woman who lost both legs in crash reminds drivers of Move Over or Slow Down law

AAA Texas and (TxDOT) are reminding Texans about the Move Over or Slow Down law, which requires drivers to do just that when they see emergency vehicles with lights flashing on the side of the road.

More than 6,900 tickets have already been issued this year for move-over, slow-down violations, troopers said.

According to troopers, Texas law prohibits using portable wireless devices to read, write or send an electronic message unless the vehicle is stopped.

By the numbers:

According to troopers, more than 156,000 tickets and warnings were written during last year’s campaign. Nearly 10,000 of them were for speeding, 3,876 of them were for driving without insurance and 780 of them were for seat belts. Just over 900 felony and fugitive arrests were also made.