As holiday festivities bring joy to many, they also bring an increase in drunk driving fatalities. In Houston, families like Yolanda Carson’s are teaming up with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to raise awareness and encourage alternatives to impaired driving, hoping to prevent the heartbreak they’ve endured.
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After a sharp surge in alcohol-related traffic deaths during holiday season, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began a statewide campaign to fight drunk driving. Houston families like Yolanda Carson's, who experienced the devastation, support the endeavor.
Carson lost her daughter Jade Jiles in 2013 when a drunk driver hit her while she helped a friend find a dog. Jiles, 23, left a six-month-old son.
“She will never hug him. Carson stated that he will never see her smile or hold her hand. Her plea reflects the campaign's: avoid drunk driving and get home safely.
Texas has one in four drunk driver traffic deaths, rising to 28% over the holidays, according to TxDOT. The organization worked with Walmart to increase awareness by delivering interactive mobile exhibitions to stores where consumers buy alcohol for festivities.
The 2022 National Highway car Safety Administration study that Texas ranked third for alcohol-related car crashes emphasizes the importance of the issue.
Carson and others warn against drinking and driving. Just not worth it. Lost children are traumatic for parents.”
These measures by TxDOT aim to save lives and spare families from unnecessary holiday tragedies.
