SAN ANTONIO – At least 900 people have died every year on Texas roads for the last 10 years in DUI-alcohol-related car crashes, according to data from the Texas Department of Transportation.
In 2020, there were 963 DUI-alcohol-related fatalities in our state which equates to one death every nine hours and six minutes.
To combat the number of fatalities related to alcohol, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is launching a statewide campaign called the “Faces of Drunk Driving.”
The campaign is putting real faces and stories behind the statistics with testimonials from drivers, survivors and family members of DUI crashes.
“Drinking and driving can lead to tragic consequences that are 100% preventable,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “These consequences involve individuals who made the unfortunate decision to drink and drive along with many innocent victims of those decisions.”
Pam Todaro is just one of the people featured in the campaign and she shares her story in the video player at the top of the article. Police showed up at her doorstep at 6:45 a.m. on August 9, 2014, to tell her that her 25-year-old son was killed in a drunk driving crash.
“It is critical to always plan ahead for a sober ride through a designated driver, taxi, ride-share app or simply by staying where you are,” said Williams.
Despite a 6% decrease in DUI-alcohol-related traffic crashes in Texas in 2020, compared to 2019, there was a 5% increase in fatalities during that same period, despite the pandemic, according to Faces of Drunk Driving.
November 7, 2000 was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.
Uber and Lyft are both ride-sharing services that can take you home if you believe you might be too impaired to drive.
San Antonio also has several taxi services including Yellow Cab San Antonio.