TxDOT’s “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign starts this week and runs through the New Year’s Day holiday, supporting a heightened law enforcement period from Dec. 12 through Jan. 1. During this time, more officers will be on the alert for drunk drivers, according to TxDOT.
Drunk driving is a huge problem yearround in Texas, but it’s worse during the holiday season. In fact, during the 2024 holiday season, Texas saw more than 2,000 drunk driving related crashes, resulting in 96 deaths and 201 serious injuries.
With the “Drive Sober. No Regrets” initiative, TxDOT hopes to encourage Texans not to drink and drive over this holiday season (or anytime), according to a press release for the initiative. TxDOT encourages alternatives such as designating a sober driver ahead of time; using rideshare services, taxis, or mass transit; or simply staying put after drinking until you sober up.
“The holidays are a wonderful time to be with family, and yet they can also be a painful reminder for those who have lost loved ones to preventable crashes,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “Let’s make a new holiday tradition to drive like a Texan: kind, courteous and safe. That means always getting a sober ride.”
Drunk driving crashes are completely preventable, yet they can cause physical, emotional, and financial consequences that last for years. Alcohol- related crashes can cause life-altering, disabling, and permanent injuries for survivors — and they can be deadly.
Beyond the possibility of taking a life – including your own – driving impaired and getting a DUI can result in timeconsuming legal hassles, jail time, loss of your driver’s license, and fines and fees up to $17,000, according to TxDOT.
The “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign includes PSAs on TV, radio and billboards, as well as displays at bars, restaurants and convenience stores statewide. TxDOT is partnering with Walmart during the holiday season to take its interactive exhibit to stores in areas with the highest number of drunk driving deaths.
