AUSTIN – The telltale red-and-blue lights in a driver’s rearview mirror can inspire shame and guilt. But those feelings don’t come close to the guilt speeding drivers feel after killing or injuring someone – or the pain a family feels when someone dies in a crash.

Speeding can kill, and someone is always left behind to deal with the painful aftermath.

Speed was a factor in more than 160,000 traffic crashes in Texas last year, and 1,456 people were killed in speed-related crashes. That’s a third of all traffic deaths in Texas.

Lanisa Dehn knows how lives can be forever changed when someone makes the choice to drive at an unsafe speed. In 2020, a young man driving twice the speed limit in Lubbock, crashed into her mother’s car as she tried to make a left turn. Her mother died at the scene.

“If that driver would’ve obeyed the law, my mother might still be here today,” said Dehn. “I hope other drivers will hear my story and protect their fellow Texans by slowing down and avoiding making the same mistake.”

Tragic deaths like that of Dehn’s mother are why TxDOT is partnering with law enforcement to launch its summer Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign and encourages motorists to slow down.

“Speeding is one of the deadliest problems on our roads,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Getting to the office, home or wherever you’re going a few minutes faster isn’t worth putting your life or the lives of others at risk”.

Speeding is not only dangerous, it can also be costly. The Be Safe. Drive Smart. campaign coincides with Operation Slowdown, a statewide, high-visibility speed limit enforcement period. From July 19 through Aug. 4, Texas law enforcement agencies will step up their efforts to get drivers to slow down or pay up. Be Safe. Drive Smart. means more than following the speed limit. Follow these tips to keep yourself and others safe, and avoid a ticket:

• Match your speed to road conditions, such as bad weather or driving through a work zone.
• Slow down and allow for more distance to stop when traffic is heavy or roads are slick.
• Watch for road signs alerting you of reduced speed limits ahead.

TxDOT actively monitors roadways throughout the state to identify patterns that may help implement additional safety measures to prevent speeding. Working together, TxDOT, law enforcement, and drivers can save lives on Texas roads.

Be Safe. Drive Smart. messages will be broadcast this month on TV, radio, billboards, gas pumps, theater screens and social media. TxDOT is also hosting community events featuring an interactive exhibit of safety quizzes and video displays at select Buc-ee’s locations along major travel corridors.

Be Safe. Drive Smart. is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.

Contact TxDOT Brownwood’s public information officer at Lisa.Tipton@txdot.gov or (325) 643-0413.