Overview
- TxDOT will begin Operation Slowdown on July 18, directing a statewide campaign of visible patrols and ticketing that will run into early August to pressure drivers to slow down.
- Local agencies including the Austin Police Department will join the effort by adding officers on roadways to look for speeding and driving too fast for conditions.
- Enforcement actions will include written citations, extra patrol time on major roads, and doubled fines for speeding in active work zones and school zones to increase deterrence.
- The campaign cites TxDOT’s 2025 data showing speeding contributed to over 150,000 crashes, 1,247 deaths and 5,652 serious injuries and says speeding accounts for roughly one-third of traffic fatalities.
- TxDOT pairs enforcement with public outreach that urges drivers to match speed to conditions, increase following distance and always buckle up, a push officials say could reduce severe injuries and costly penalties for motorists.