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TxDOT encourages sober rides, report shows 3 deaths occur in Texas per day from drunk driving

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Published  June 22, 2023 7:11pm CDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON - In recent data released by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), drunk driving fatalities saw an increase in the previous year. In response, TxDOT is calling upon all Texans to save lives and reverse this concerning trend by opting for a sober ride.

In 2022, Texas witnessed a 2% rise in drunk driving-related fatalities, with a staggering 1,162 lives lost. These statistics translate to an average of three individuals losing their lives every day throughout the year. 

TxDOT shared the story of Monse Montoya's family as part of their Faces of Drunk Driving campaign.

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A drunk driver, disregarding a stop sign, collided with Montoya's parents' vehicle, instantly killing her father and 15-year-old brother. Although her mother survived, she endured a week-long stay in the intensive care unit.

Investigations revealed the driver responsible had consumed alcohol with coworkers before driving his vehicle, rather than arranging for a sober ride.

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TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams emphasized, "Numbers can sometimes feel abstract. But these are real people whose lives were either lost or forever altered by someone's decision to drink and drive. We hope that the stories featured in our Faces of Drunk Driving campaign will inspire Texans to always arrange a sober ride home."

Drunk driving accounted for a6% of all traffic fatalities in Texas last year, according to TxDOT. These accidents resulted in a life being claimed every 7 hours and 32 minutes.

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The Faces of Drunk Driving campaign serves as a reminder that driving under the influence can inflict severe and often irreversible physical, emotional, and financial consequences on both survivors and offenders.

Beyond taking a life, a DWI/DUI conviction carries hefty financial burdens and can jeopardize employment opportunities, erode trust from loved ones, and burden the guilty with lifelong remorse.

Notably, the state has not witnessed a day without a death on the road since November 7, 2000.

Get more information on the TxDOT Sober Rides campaign by visiting their website.