We’ve all heard the excuses – “I’m OK to drive,” “I’m only going a few blocks” or “I’ll take the back roads home” – but just like “the dog ate my homework” didn’t work in elementary school, the excuses for drunk driving don’t work now. That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) latest campaign to reduce drunk driving highlights common excuses offenders give for driving under the influence.
At a Tuesday (Aug. 16) press event at the El Paso County Jail Annex to launch the annual Drink, Drive, Go To Jail campaign and enforcement period, TxDOT will enlist a troupe of local actors who will don prison jumpsuits and unveil common excuses people give for driving drunk.
TxDOT is joining forces with DPS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and law enforcement agencies statewide to crack down on drunk driving as the summer winds down. From Aug. 19 through Labor Day (Sept. 5), law enforcement officers around the state will be working overtime to get drunk drivers off the road.
It’s a problem that continues to haunt the state. In 2010, there were 25,032 alcohol-related crashes in Texas that resulted in 1,057 deaths and 16,877 injuries. In 2010, 24 percent of people killed in alcohol-related crashes in Texas were between the ages of 20 and 25. However, this age segment only represents 9 percent of the overall state population.
The purpose of the campaign is to remind drivers of the consequences of getting behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking and suggest safe alternatives. Instead of driving home, they can call a cab, ask a friend or a family member for a ride, hand their keys to a designated driver or simply stay put until they sober up.
For those who choose to drink and drive, law enforcement officials statewide will be on out in force to arrest them. No excuses.
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