MAYOR JOHN WHITMIRE ANNOUNCES NEW ROAD RAGE CRACKDOWN
On Thursday, Mayor John Whitmire announced HPD would crack down on road rage. "This came about because I share Houstonians' concerns about irresponsible driving," Whitmire said in the video.
Whitmire said the enforcement efforts would focus on I-45 and US-59, but didn't say why.
ABC13 contacted the police department on Friday for additional details.
SEE ALSO: Houston saw 135% increase in road rage shooting incidents from 2016 to 2023, data shows
They didn't explain further, but a spokesperson told us that since Wednesday, officers and troopers have handed out around 300 tickets on those freeways. Officers are looking for people driving too fast, tailgating, and changing lanes without a turn signal.
It's an effort that drivers we spoke to hope will slow down this issue.
"I think it's needed," driver Marissa Hill said. "I would feel much safer, especially with these busy highways."
It's unclear how long the enhanced enforcement will last or if it'll spread to other roadways. Whitmire said this is just the beginning.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME HPD HAS TRIED TO CRACK DOWN ON ROAD RAGE
Last year, HPD launched a "safe roadways" campaign to combat road rage. Officers targeted freeways during rush hour.
ABC13 obtained new numbers showing that incidents declined, but not by much. In 2019, HPD dealt with 275 incidents.
It peaked at 468 in 2021; in 2023, the number of road rage incidents HPD dealt with fell to 359. Data ABC13 obtained shows that last year, the number dropped to 329.
The figures show 106 road rage incidents through April of this year, slightly lower than the 112 incidents recorded during the same time frame last year.
HERE'S HOW MANY ROAD RAGE INCIDENTS ARE TAKING PLACE ON FREEWAYS
HPD is focused on I-45 and US-59. Data ABC13 obtained shows that 16% of all road rage incidents occurred on those freeways since last year.
The figures show that 45 road rage incidents have occurred up and down I-45 since 2024, compared to 28 across US-59.
The Loop was another hot spot with 42 road rage incidents since last year. The numbers are lower for other freeways.
The data shows that since 2024, there have been 24 road rage incidents across I-10, six on Highway-288, and five on US-290. HPD dealt with five on US-290.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO TO COMBAT ROAD RAGE
HPD said drivers can do their part to lower the number of road rage incidents, too. Because of this issue, some drivers said they've made changes.
"I definitely notice that I drive a lot slower because I don't want to be in a high-speed crash," driver Nathan Reyna said.
Officers said the best thing motorists can do is not engage. If you are in a road rage situation, don't make eye contact, honk your horn, or use obscene gestures.
ROAD RAGE INCIDENTS IN HOUSTON:
-Family of murdered pastor faced with nearly 3-year trial delay after 2022 road rage shooting
-Fort Bend County road rage victim awarded more than half a million dollars
-Man accused of opening fire at another driver on Gulf Freeway in road rage incident, HPD says
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