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Project
Characteristics |
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Traffic
Enforcement
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Program
Areas |
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Police
Traffic Services
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Type
of Jurisdiction |
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Statewide |
Targeted
Population |
| Texas
Motorists |
Jurisdiction
Size |
| 18
Counties
9,029,275
Population
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Funding |
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402
Funds: $1,214,410
Matching
Funds: $1,297,345
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Contact |
Major
Luis Gonzalez
Department of Public Safety
P.O. Box 4087
Austin,
TX 78773
(512) 424-2119
luis.gonzalez@txdps.state.tx.us
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Digest
Listing
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TEXAS
Safe and Sober
Selective Traffic Enforcement Program
(PDF Version)
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Of
the 3,106 fatal traffic crashes investigated in Texas in 1999, 28.4 percent involved alcohol impairment, 32.9 percent involved excess
speed, and 40.9 percent of all fatalities were not wearing safety belts. The
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) proposed using overtime funding to target
eighteen counties around the state where incidences of non-compliance with
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), speed, occupant restraint laws, and related
traffic crashes were likely to occur. The availability of manpower is an obstacle in determining which counties to
target. A sufficient number of troopers have to be available in a given region
to make the project successful.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Safe and Sober Selective Traffic Enforcement Program’s (STEP) goal is to reduce traffic fatalities caused by excess speed, failure
to wear safety belts, and impaired drivers.
The project’s objectives are to:
- Increase the percentage of vehicles in compliance with the speed
limit by five percent;
- Increase the total number of speed citations issued by 36 percent;
- Increase DWI arrests by 27 percent;
- Increase safety belt use among drivers and front seat passengers by
five percent; and
- Increase the total number of occupant protection (OP) citations
issued by 72 percent.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Safe
and Sober Selective Traffic
Enforcement Program implemented the following strategies to achieve
its goals:
-
Targeted
18 counties with a high number of DWI violations, speed non-compliance,
and low safety belt use
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Organized concentrated patrols in areas with a history
of alcohol-related crashes, during times when alcohol-impaired drivers are
frequently driving
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Patrolled highways with a high concentration of late
night drinking and entertainment establishments
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Conducted concentrated patrols during holiday periods
with a history of alcohol-related crashes
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Deployed concentrated patrols targeting stretches of
highway with a history of a large number of motorists who are non-compliant with
speed laws
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Focused additional attention on areas with a history of
speed-related crashes
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Targeted heavy commuter times for frequent patrols
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Conducted patrols in all areas of the selected counties
during daylight hours to detect drivers and passengers violating occupant
restraint laws
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Targeted drivers who failed to use safety belts and have
child occupants properly restrained
RESULTS
The Safe and Sober Selective
Traffic Enforcement Program achieved the following results from October 1, 2002
to September 30, 2003:
The project fell short of the target by 4,078 citations due to a greater
emphasis placed on DWI and occupant protection violations during the
project period.
Total DWI arrests exceeded the project target by 2,044 arrests and
occupant protection citations exceeded the project target by 5,234
citations.
Post project surveys indicate safety belt use only increased 2.1 percent
instead of the anticipated five percent. As statewide safety belt use
increases, an increase of two to three percent was a more realistic goal
for this project. Speed and DWI-related crash data for the project period,
which will help to measure the project’s impact, is not yet available.
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