DPS holiday traffic enforcement campaign runs through Sunday

DPS holiday traffic enforcement campaign

State troopers will be on the road looking for drunk drivers or people who are speeding. They'll also be helping those who might be stranded. FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen has the details.

AUSTIN, Texas - There will be more State Troopers on the road through Sunday (11/26) as part of the Department of Public Safety's holiday traffic enforcement campaign.

They will be looking for drunk drivers or people who are speeding and helping those who might be stranded.

"Usually we have all the patrol officers that are in a patrol vehicle, it's a holiday enforcement, so you'll find pretty much all of them out on the roads either day or night," Sgt. Deon Cockrell with DPS said.

Cockrell says numbers haven't been compiled yet, but people have already died this Thanksgiving travel season.

"I've had to go to a couple of fatality crashes already, and we hope that there's no more for the rest of the weekend. Some of them were late at night. Fatigue may have played a factor in that," Cockrell said.

Some general tips include not texting and driving, move over or slow down for first responders or tow trucks on the side of the road, get your car checked before a road trip, and get plenty of rest and give yourself lots of time to travel.

"Be prepared for the number of cars out there. Don't be in a rush," Cockrell said.

If you have any amount of alcohol, don't get behind the wheel.

The Texas Department of Transportation recently launched their drunk driving prevention campaign.

Four years ago, Monse Montoya lost her father and brother after a drunk driver in Austin ran a stop sign and T-boned her parents' car. Her mother was hurt but survived.

"My dad and brother deserve better than this, I miss them every day," Montoya said. "If the other driver hadn't decided to drink and drive, my baby brother and father would still be with us today, and my family wouldn't have had to endure this tragic loss."