The Austin Police Department wants to curb aggressive driving on Interstate 35. Starting Sunday, March 17, APD and other law enforcement agencies will increase their operations along the I-35 corridor. The crackdown will continue until Saturday, March 23.
APD says they’ll be looking for those who speed, tailgate, pass emergency vehicles, and fail to signal or wear a seat belt.
“Thirty-seven uniformed officers over and above our normal staffing will be working this,” says APD Lieutenant Randy Pogue. “We’ll be working twenty-one hours a day Saturday through Monday, and fourteen hours a day Tuesday through Friday during that week.”
The crackdown on aggressive driving is part of a federal grant issued to the Austin Police Department to fund their Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program. APD is working with two other grantees, the San Antonio and Fort Worth police departments, to target the aggressive driving that’s all-too-common along the I-35 corridor.
Cedar Park is also issuing its own initiative to combat the potential dangers that occur the spring break, focusing on those driving while intoxicated.
Cedar Park police are using a Texas Department of Transportation grant – the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) – to fund overtime for off-duty Cedar Park officers to increase patrols for intoxicated drivers.
While alcohol related traffic fatalities in Texas have diminished in recent years, transportation safety experts say there are more DWI fatalities during spring than any other time of year.
“Spring Break is a time for families and fun and those who choose to endanger our community by drinking and driving should be prepared for the consequences of their actions,” Cedar Park Police Chief Sean Mannix said in statement.
