Nothing Takes Your Breath Away While Driving Like Seeing A Black Texas DPS Vehicle Pop Out Of Nowhere.

As a former truck driver, I can tell you first hand that one of the things driver DREAD is seeing a Texas DPS SUV posted up on the highway and what's even worst is having one pull you over. Even if you have everything in order, they will find SOMETHING to ding you on, ask any CDL driver.

With that said, some drivers still press their luck and try to make up time by speeding.  Some drivers feel pressured to meet demanding deadlines, leading to instances of speeding and reckless driving.

To combat this, Texas law enforcement has implemented stricter regulations and frequent inspections along major routes.

Troopers in West Texas, where wide open roads are prevalent, Midland / Odessa - Highway Patrol and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Troopers conducted directed patrol operations in an effort to reduce motor vehicle crashes and remove unsafe commercial motor vehicle drivers and vehicles off the highways throughout the Permian Basin according to a post by West Texas Region DPS on Facebook.

On Wednesday, October 16th – Friday, October 18th, Troopers placed special emphasis on those violations that cause drivers to be distracted while driving, which included the prohibited use of cell phones in school zones, especially in rural communities, as well as those drivers violating the move-over slow-down law.

The Number Of Violations They Found Was Jaw Dropping.

As a result of their combined enforcement efforts, a total of 853 commercial and non-commercial motor vehicles were apprehended according to the post. They also reported the following staggering numbers:

• Total Violations – 1,941
• Equipment Violations – 858
• Registration Violations - 313
• Speed Violations – 299
• Driver License Violations – 116
• Move-over Slow-down Violations - 31
• Seat Belt Violation – 21
• Cell Phone Use in School Zone Violations – 14
• Misdemeanor Arrests - 18
• Felony Arrests – 8
• Vehicles Out of Service (OOS) - 55 / 41.3% OOS Rate (exceeding the national average of approximately 21%)
• Drivers Out of Service (OOS) – 22 / 16.5% OOS Rate (exceeding the national average of approximately 6%)

That's a crazy amount of violations over a 3 day period. We've got to do better behind the wheel Texas.