BRYAN, Texas — TxDOT is aiming to reduce speed-related crashes in the state with its "Be Safe. Drive Smart." initiative.
The department partnered with local police who will write tickets and patrol roads more often to encourage drivers to slow down.
However, most drivers like Ella Johnson and Isabel Villeda didn't know about the initiative.
Villeda, a Bryan native, says she doesn't encounter many unsafe drivers in Bryan, but she does see speeding drivers on busy roads like Groesbeck Street, Cavitt Avenue and Texas Avenue.
"There's a couple streets where speeding does happen, and there's not a lot of law enforcement stopping the speeders," Villeda said.
TxDOT added speed to its program on July 14 after finding speed a main factor in crashes.
There were 1,013 speed-related crashes in Bryan-College Station in 2022 that left six dead and 30 with serious injuries.
But public information officer for TxDOT of the Bryan District Bob Colwell says speeding has always been a component of the program.
"Getting to your destination two or three minutes faster just isn't worth the risk of crashing or causing harm to yourself or others," Colwell said.
The department is encourage drivers to not just follow the posted speed limit signs, but to match speed to weather conditions, slow down and allow more distance in traffic, pay attention to reduced speed limit signs, buckle up and remember to slow down in work and school zones.
Johnson, a graduate students, says that she practices safe driving tips, but also wants to know how the department is informing the public.
"It’s definitely depends on what their marketing is," Johnson said.
"I mean, I don’t know how they’re reaching out to other drivers, but if they are spreading the word well, I think it will encourage that."
The initiative will end on July 30, but TxDOT still encourages safe driving.