TEXAS, USA — One person in Texas dies every 7 hours and 43 minutes in a DUI alcohol related traffic crash, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
With Baylor on spring break already and some other Texas schools on break soon, celebrations are already in full swing, and TxDOT has launched a statewide campaign called "Drive Sober. No Regrets" to make sure Texans can have fun while being safe.
"Spring break time is a time for celebration for college students and young adults," Jake Smith, Public Information Officer for the Waco district Texas Department of Transportation, said. "There can be drinking involved."
A week off from college to relax and unwind can sometimes get out of hand.
TxDOT is partnering with a college campus-based program called U in the Driver Seat as a way for students to spread awareness to their peers.
"Every year the following weeks after spring, it's just all over the news and all over social media, the horrific events that are happening," Esmeralda Trevino, a student at UT Austin and member of U in the Driver Seat, said.
During spring break of 2021, Texas recorded 874 DUI alcohol related traffic crashes, and 31 deaths.
"One death is too many, that is alarming," Smith said. "These are family members, friends and people we care about."
"I think it's important for students like myself to get involved with organizations like U in the Driver Seat because it really is the number one cause of death for individuals our age," Trevino said.
With various rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, finding a safe drive home is easy and accessible with just a few clicks.
TxDOT's "Drive Sober. No Regrets" campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel.
"What we want to put out there is that if you have been drinking, find a sober ride home," Smith said. "If you know you are going to drink, secure a sober ride home beforehand."
November 7th, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
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