New Campaign in Texas Aims to Curb Drunk Driving on Game Days

Texans’ love of football is legendary. Texans’ love of drinking while watching football may be a close second. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), the number of people driving while intoxicated sharply increases during football season in Texas.

Drinking and driving on football game days is a common issue in Texas and nationwide. According to a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, 45 percent of people who drink at a football game or while watching a football game at a party drive themselves home.

While not everyone who drinks and drives is caught, officers are watching out for Dallas drunk driving on game nights. And with a new campaign launched by the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), the risk of being pulled over and charged with DWI is even greater.

TXDOT Know When to Pass Campaign

To combat game day drinking and driving, TXDOT has rolled out a new educational campaign called “Know When to Pass.” The campaign, aimed at students, features a truck that will visit college campuses statewide. In the truck, there is a living room depicting a football-watching party with cutouts of Texas football players taking the partygoers’ keys. Carol Rawson of TXDOT said the truck’s purpose is to increase awareness of the dangers of game day drinking and driving while encouraging Texans to use a designated driver if they choose to drink on game day.

Defending Against Game Day DWI Charges

Of course, many people do not know they are too intoxicated to drive when they leave the football game. Or they think they will be able to drive a few miles safely. For most people charged with DWI after a football game, this is their first DWI and may even be the first time they are facing the criminal justice system. It is not only frustrating, but also frightening. DWI defendants worry about their futures, their driver’s licenses and their reputation.

That is where an experienced DWI defense lawyer comes in. An attorney can advise you of your rights and aggressively fight on your behalf.

Source: KYTX, “A Plea for Texas Football Fans to Drive Sober on Game Days,” Courtney Friedman, Nov. 22, 2011.