The Texas Department of Transportation on Monday launched a statewide holiday safety campaign in Texas to reduce drunk driving crashes, injuries and deaths through increased public awareness and enforcement.
The agency announced the campaign in Austin during a news conference with state traffic safety officials, law enforcement representatives and victim advocates who described the impact of impaired driving on Texas communities.
The initiative will run across Texas during the holiday period, which includes Christmas and New Year’s celebrations when state data show an increase in alcohol-related crashes on roads and highways.
The campaign will feature television, radio, digital and social media messages in English and Spanish that warn drivers about the legal, financial and personal consequences of driving while intoxicated in Texas.
Officials said Texas law defines legal impairment at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher for most drivers and noted that drivers can face arrest at lower levels if officers observe signs of impairment.
TxDOT reported that recent statewide crash statistics show hundreds of people die each year in Texas in crashes involving drunk drivers and thousands more suffer injuries that require emergency medical care.
Data from the agency show that alcohol-related traffic crashes in Texas occur in urban areas such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin and in rural counties along major state and interstate routes.
Officials said the campaign will use real crash stories and testimonies from families who lost relatives in drunk driving incidents to show the long-term effects on victims, survivors and communities.
Members of the public can report suspected drunk drivers to local law enforcement in Texas by calling 911 and providing vehicle descriptions, locations and travel directions so officers can respond.
TxDOT stated that the holiday campaign forms part of a broader statewide initiative that aims to eliminate deaths on Texas roads by promoting safe driving behaviors all year.
The agency said it will continue similar impaired driving prevention campaigns during other high-traffic periods in Texas, including spring break, summer travel months and major sports and music events.