AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Texas Department of Transportation launched a campaign this year to remind drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving after an uptick in alcohol-related traffic deaths last holiday season.
According to the agency, one in every four traffic deaths is caused by a drunk driver, but during the holiday season that ratio ticks up to 28%. The issue is impacting thousands of Texas families like Yolanda Carson.
Carson’s daughter, Jade Jiles, was hit and killed by a drunk driver in 2013. Jiles was helping a friend look for their dog when a drunk driver hit her on the street and left her to die. The 23-year-old left behind her six-month-old son.
“We talk about her, but he will never have a hug from her. He will never see her smile, and he will never get the chance to hold her hand,” Carson said. Carson and TXDOT are urging people to find an alternative way to get home, like a rideshare or a sober friend, when you are drunk.
“Do not get behind that wheel and drink and drive. It’s just not worth it. It’s devastating for a parent to lose a child,” Carson said.
This year the agency partnered with Walmart to set up their mobile interactive exhibit at stores across the state as people go to buy alcohol for the holidays.
According to a report released this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Texas is one of the leading states for alcohol-related traffic crashes. The report looked at data from 2022 and found Texas had the third highest percentage of alcohol-related crashes in the country.
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