Numbers from Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s aggressive driving crackdown revealed

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — ABC13 has obtained numbers shedding more light on Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s aggressive driving crackdown.

Over three days in June, 83 officers fanned out across the North Freeway, Eastex Freeway, South Loop, and 288 to crack down on what the city termed aggressive driving.

It came in response to a string of road rage incidents. The Houston Police Department reported 329 in 2024 and 359 in 2023.

“People shooting at each other, and we’re trying to stop that, and that’s our main objective in addressing aggressive driving,” Capt. Jason Rosemon told Eyewitness News in June.

Numbers that Eyewitness News received through a public records request reveal police made 364 traffic stops and issued 469 citations as part of the three-day crackdown.

The most ticketed offenses include:

– Speeding: 91 tickets (19%)

– Driving on the shoulder: 38 tickets (8%)

– Unsafe lane changes: 37 tickets (8%)

– Failure to signal: 24 tickets (5%)

– Seatbelt violations: 15 tickets (3%)

– Following too closely: 11 tickets (2%)

– Texting: 9 tickets (2%)

A mystery category billed “all other citations” accounted for roughly 49 percent of all citations issued. The city still hasn’t explained what this includes.

Some drivers were surprised to learn that speeding alone would be ticketed as part of the aggressive driving crackdown.

“I think if you’re aggressive that you’re changing lanes and going, weaving between cars and making a dangerous situation,” one man said.

But at the outset, the mayor said speed would be something officers would go after.

“We want the results of people slowing down and driving responsibly,” Whitmire said in a video he posted on social media at the time.

“The initiative has made the freeways safer,” Mayor Whitmire said in a written response when asked about the numbers.

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