This month, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has launched an education campaign in "telenovela" format. They have created a mini telenovela series that is especially focused on keeping the Hispanic community safe while driving. The series will be aired specifically to make the Hispanic drivers aware of the dangers of drinking while driving.

"We created these telenovelas to reach Hispanic women and men who may be unfamiliar with drunk driving laws. We chose the telenovela format because historically, Hispanic families tend to develop an emotional connection with these series and their characters. We believe it's an effective way to encourage people to take the initiative and not let the people they care about get behind the wheel after they've been drinking," Carol T. Rawson P.E., TxDOT Traffic Operations Director says.

In Texas, Hispanics make up over a third of the population, which is the reason why TxDOT aims to keep them safe on the roads. Here are some key statistics:

• 33 percent of all DUI fatalities in Texas in 2009 occurred in crashes where a Hispanic driver was under the influence of alcohol. (TxDOT, CRIS)


• 21 percent of all Hispanic DUI drivers involved in crashes in 2009 had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above. (TxDOT, CRIS)


• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for Hispanics one to 44 years of age, and 15 percent of U.S.-born Mexican Americans had a DUI within the past 12 months according to a 2008 study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

They plan on airing three short telenovelas that follow the members of a Hispanic family as they are faced with drinking and driving situations. These telenovelas will spotlight how drivers can proactively prevent drinking and driving, explain the consequences of drinking and driving, and explain the laws to those who are unfamiliar with them.

The telenovelas will air as 2-and-a-half minute presentations that will air on Univision, Estrella and Telefutura in target areas such as Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio. The videos will also be posted on TxDOT's official YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/TxDOTpio.

The airing period covered the July 4th, a holiday when most of law enforcement was toughened via high visibility enforcement and no-refusal crackdowns. This is a great initiative and TxDOT is among the first agencies to deliver such a message in telenovela format.

Here is one of the short telenovelas to be aired:

Labels: drunk driving, drunk driving laws, prevent drunk driving

During the Fourth of July holiday, various law enforcement agencies are always on high alert for drivers who are impaired by alcohol. Statistics gathered by the NHTSA would suggest that over the past 25 years, half of all deadly traffic crashes during this period usually involves alcohol-impaired drivers. In Texas, there were 337 alcohol-related traffic crashes over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

This is why the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and various law enforcement agencies are teaming up to increase their presence over the weekend in a statewide High Visibility Enforcement effort.

Motorists should notice that by the weekend, there will be a significant increase in presence of law enforcement officials as part of an aggressive crackdown on impaired drivers. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and other local law enforcement throughout Texas have received federal grants to increase their enforcement efforts over the weekend.

"TxDOT is proud to be a part of the high visibility enforcement weekend because it works. The success we've seen in jurisdictions across the state reinforces the message that driving while intoxicated will not be tolerated in Texas." said Carol T. Rawson, P.E., TxDOT, Traffic Operations Director.

This also means an increased promotion of their current anti-drinking-and-driving campaign, which is P.A.S.S. Motorists will be thoroughly reminded that if they will be out to drink, they must have a P.A.S.S., or, Person Appointed to Stay Sober.

You can learn more at: (http://www.facebook.com/KnowWhenToPass)

Drivers must also remember that during this weekend, breath and blood samples are "no-refusals." This means drivers who get pulled over and are suspected of a DWI will not be allowed refusing breath and blood samples and be dealt with accordingly, if found with a BAC higher than what is legal. Drivers who get convicted of DWIs over this Fourth of July weekend may land in jail, which is the exact opposite of what the holiday represents.

Tips for Safe Summer Driving - Have a Happy 4th of July!

Labels: alcohol impaired drivers, drunk driving, DUI, prevent drunk driving, TXDOT

In San Antonio, April means one thing: Fiesta is just around the corner. The annual Fiesta is an 11-day party with food, carnivals, music, parades, entertainment and other events that see a yearly number of approximately 3.5 million people. Once the fireworks go off at Fort Sam Houston, the big party begins.

Since some of these events involve alcohol, there is a great risk for drunk driving. Six people were killed in four alcohol-related crashes during the celebration last year. It is a serious issue that sometimes serves as the ugly dark side of the joyous festivities. To prevent this, the Texas Department of Transportation has teamed up with several local businesses to offer free cab rides to Fiesta goers.

Last year they provided over 700 free cab rides. This year they hope to hit 1,000.

Not that it would require drivers to wait until Fiesta to plan out sober rides when they go out drinking --- this only serves to reinforce the message that, if you plan to drink and have a good time, you should never get behind the wheel.

There are tons of designated driver services out there that one might get in touch with, should they plan on having a fun night out. The cost for these services is surely nothing compared to the value of safety.

So if you’re in San Antonio from April 7 to the 17th, enjoy the food, carnivals, music, parades and the cascarones. (http://www.san-antonio-family-fun.com/fiestacascarones.html) Just make sure you avail of the free cab ride when going home.

Additionally, as an added layer of safety, the Bexar County District Attorney's Office will implement a "no refusal" period during the entire duration of Fiesta. It means when a driver is suspected of driving under the influence and that driver refuses to cooperate with police, blood will be drawn.

Learn more about technology to prevent drunk driving at the National Safety Commission.

Labels: designated driver services, drunk driving, prevent drunk driving

The Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol has devised a way to increase awareness on drunk driving while at the same time, honoring those who are casualties of such incidents: one American flag for every one of the 1,551 casualties of drunk driving in Texas in 2009.

The flags are displayed at Walter Hall Park in League City at a site known as Healing Fields. "The Healing Field is a place that we have designated to bring awareness," says Council spokesperson Shelly Higgins.

"These are senseless, preventable deaths," she adds. Texas continues to have a high number of fatal drunk-driving accidents each year and increasing awareness by showing --- visually --- how many fatalities driving under the influence yields. The Healing Field was set up last weekend and will be in place for Veteran’s Day. It will be retired Friday morning.

Should this become an annual thing, it truly can be considered that the less is the more, and hopefully, by next year, there would be significantly less flags.

Read more about other initiatives to prevent drunk driving in Texas including the TX DOT program "Know When to Pass".

Labels: drunk driving, DUI, Houston Healing Fields, prevent drunk driving

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) continues the ‘Know When to Pass’ campaign by having its ‘Know When to Pass’ truck visit football games across the state of Texas.

The University of Texas has noted that football game days are among the heaviest days for alcohol consumption. With the heavy alcohol consumption, there is more chance for football fans to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The state plans to combat that by the ‘Know When to Pass’ campaign, creating awareness all over Texas that people who have been drinking should know when to either pass up a drink, or pass their keys to a sober designated driver.

The scheduled stops for the ‘Know When to Pass’ truck are as follows:
(with Lubbock done last Nov. 4-6 and El Paso done on the 8th)

• Austin: Nov. 11-13 for University of Texas vs. Oklahoma State (Nov. 13)


• San Antonio: Nov. 15


• College Station: Nov. 18-20 for Texas A&M vs. Nebraska (Nov. 20)


• Dallas: Nov. 21-23 for Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions (Nov. 21)


• Austin: Nov. 25 for University of Texas vs. Texas A&M


• Houston: Nov. 28-30 for Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans (Nov. 28)

Football fans are encouraged to check out the ‘Know When to Pass’ Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KnowWhentoPass.

"We believe the 'Know When to Pass' truck will help us raise awareness among people throughout the state and, if they've been drinking, motivate them to pass their keys to a designated sober receiver," said Carol T. Rawson P.E., TxDOT Traffic Operations Director. "Our goal is to create turnovers by having impaired drivers turn over their keys to someone else, thereby reducing the number of crashes and fatalities in our state."

Texas Statistics

• 45 percent of those who drink at a football watching party in Texas, have reported driving home.


• According to TxDOT, 30.9 percent of the total traffic fatalities were caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol in 2009. These figures increase over the weekend and on football game days.


• In 2009, there were 27,237 DUI crashes in Texas and 1,547 (6 percent) occurred on football game days when a Texas team was playing.

TxDOT want to encourage fans to enjoy the big games and still be responsible when it comes to drinking, and knowing when to pass.

Labels: drunk driving, DUI, know when to pass, prevent drunk driving

Football season means a lot of things to Texans. To the law enforcement agencies of Texas it means an increase in DUI related crashes and arrests. Football game day drinking and driving has become a serious problem across Texas and around the country. In an effort to combat this problem the Texas Department of Transporation (TxDOT) has rolled out the "Know When to Pass" campaign for the 2010 football season.

TxDOT’s campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of game day drinking and driving and to encourage would be drunk drivers to pass their keys to a designated driver. The campaign encourages fans to enjoy their games while being responsible when it comes to driving home after a day of drinking and cheering for their teams.

According to study from the University of Texas, the heaviest days for alcohol consumption, in Texas, are football game days. A report released by the TxDOT in 2009 states that 45% of Texans who drink at a football party report driving home. 51% of the people who drank at football parties had 3 or more drinks. In 2009, 6% of DUI crashes in Texas occurred when a Texas team was playing football.

The TxDOT wants to remind football fans that the consequences of drinking and driving are real. Driving under the influence of alcohol is extremely risky. First and foremost, football fans are jeopardizing their wellbeing and the lives of their friends, family and everyone else on the road. Additionally, football fans who are convicted of DUI after the big game could face jail time, loss of their driver’s licenses, increased insurance rates, and much more.

Football fans should pick a designated driver and pass their keys to that person. If you are impaired and without a safe ride home – DO NOT DRIVE. Instead, call a cab, take public transportation, call a sober friend, or worst case scenario – stay where you are. But, do not become statistic, do not drive.

For more information on the TxDOT's "Know When to Pass Campaign" visit the facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/KnowWhenToPass

Labels: drink responsibly, driver safety, drunk driving, DUI, prevent drunk driving, texas laws