The Texas Department of Transportation is urging drivers to slow down, warning that speeding remains the leading factor in the state’s deadliest crashes. According to a July 20 TxDOT news release, 1,247 people were killed in speed-related crashes in Texas last year — roughly one-third of all traffic fatalities statewide.
The agency said speed continues to play a role in more than 150,000 crashes each year. The message anchors TxDOT’s “Drive Like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe.” campaign, which asks motorists to look out for one another and take pride in how they travel the state’s roads.
“Excessive speed makes any crash more dangerous,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams in the release. “Higher speeds mean less time to react and a much greater risk of serious injury or death. We’re asking Texans to slow down and drive with care.”
TxDOT pointed to some progress, saying that in 2025 the decline in speed-related fatalities outpaced an already significant decrease in overall traffic deaths. But the agency stressed that the danger persists, and it shared the account of a Texas family touched by it.
The release recounted the story of Stephenie Smallwood, whose 19-year-old son, Shaundi Kyree Smallwood, was killed in 2022 while riding home with friends after a trip to Six Flags. Their SUV was struck from behind on Interstate 20 in Fort Worth by a driver traveling 157 mph. “You can change people’s lives just like that,” Smallwood said. “And that driver changed our lives forever.”
The warning coincides with Operation Slowdown, a statewide high-visibility enforcement effort running July 18 through Aug. 2, according to the agency. During the campaign, TxDOT provides law enforcement agencies with additional funding and resources to increase patrols and stop drivers who are speeding or driving too fast for conditions.
TxDOT encouraged drivers to match their speed to traffic, weather and road conditions, to increase following distance when roads are crowded or slick, and to watch for changing speed limits. The agency reminded motorists that fines double for speeding in active work zones and school zones. More information is available at DriveLikeATexan.com, the release said.