How does Texas DPS define operating a motor vehicle?

Operating a motor vehicle, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), refers to the act of controlling, steering, and directing the movement of a motor vehicle on the public highways or private roadways open to the public for purposes of travel. The term "operating a motor vehicle" includes driving, steering, or otherwise exerting control over a vehicle's movement. It does not necessarily require that the vehicle is in motion; even being in the driver's seat of a vehicle with the engine running can constitute operating a motor vehicle.