AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – As New Year’s celebrations approach, the Texas Department of Transportation is sending a clear message — “Drive Sober. No Regrets.” It’s part of their annual push to stop impaired driving before it starts, and save lives during one of the most dangerous times of the year.
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Holiday parties are in full swing, but before anyone gets behind the wheel, TxDOT is urging Texans to think twice. Their “Drive Sober. No Regrets.” campaign aims to stop drunk driving crashes that continue to claim lives across the state.
“Our district covers the top 17 counties of the Panhandle, and last year, there were 38 traffic crashes that resulted from DUIs during the holiday time period, which goes from December 1st to January 1st,” Jason Britsch, TxDOT Amarillo public information officer, said. “Thankfully, there were no fatalities that resulted from those crashes, but there were four serious injuries. Had circumstances changed, that could have resulted in a higher number within half a second or even just a second. We really need to bring these numbers down because those are potential lives that could be lost on the roadways because of a simple bad decision, a simple bad choice. There’s not a lot that we can control on the roadways, but drinking and driving is one of them because it’s 100% preventable.”
TxDOT officials said the easiest way to avoid regret is to make a plan before you go out, because once you get behind the wheel, it’s already too late…