TxDOT Holiday Campaign

Texas Department of Transportation
December “Designate a Driver” Holiday Campaign
December 11, 2006 through January 1, 2007

Overview
Year after year, Texas is among the states with the highest incidents of drunk driving in the nation. In 2005, more than 1,500 motorists died in alcohol-related crashes on Texas roadways. Safety experts continually remind us that drunk driving incidents spike during the holidays.

That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation is launching a new “Designate a Driver” media campaign as part of its an annual effort to curb drunk driving over the holidays. The campaign, including new TV and new radio spots, runs from December 11th through New Year’s Day, 2007. The campaign, which also includes billboards and pumptoppers, asks Texans to plan ahead if they plan to drink during holiday celebrations.

Santa is not the only one who’ll be busy this year: Law officers know when you’ve been drinking, and they know when you’re .08. From December 11th until January 1st, which includes Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the Texas Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies are making an extra effort to spot—and stop—drunk drivers.

Campaign Components
The Texas Department of Transportation will unveil its new “Designate a Driver” TV and radio spots this year. New animated television spots show Santa getting home in a surprising way, and new radio spots rely on popular Christmas carols to deliver upbeat “Designate a Driver” messages.

TxDOT will also post billboards and ads atop gas pumps that read, “Been drinking? Let Someone Else Take The Reins” and in Spanish, “¿Has Estado Tomado? Deja Que Otro Tome Las Riendas.”

The Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Valero Corporation and Texas Municipal Police Association are participating in the holiday DWI-prevention campaign by distributing point-of-purchase materials. Decals on cooler doors in convenience stores and gas stations and coasters in bars and restaurants remind motorists not to drink and drive when they’re purchasing alcohol.

Added Value Opportunities
As part of paid media buys around the state, radio and television stations have asked for local TxDOT spokespersons to participate in public affairs interviews to help prevent drunk driving in their areas. The following information should be helpful to those of you who will be granting interviews. To see all campaign elements for the holiday “Designate a Driver” campaign, visit http://www.txdot.gov/services/traffic_operations/traffic_safety.htm.

How Texans Can Avoid a DWI
Plan ahead if you plan to drink. Designate a driver, call a cab or someone you trust to pick you up, or spend the night where you are. Bottom line: Do not get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking.

Here’s the Law
In Texas the legal limit for intoxication is .08 BAC (blood or breath alcohol concentration). However, drivers can be stopped and cited when impaired due to alcohol or other drugs regardless of BAC. Whether the driver or the passenger, motorists in Texas can be fined up to $500 for having an open alcohol container in a vehicle.

First Offense
Up to a $2,000 fine
Three days to 180 days in jail
Loss of driver’s license up to a year
$1,000 annual fee for three years to retain driver’s license

Second Offense*
Up to a $4,000 fine
One month to a year in jail
Loss of driver’s license up to two years

Third Offense*
Up to a $10,000 fine
Two to ten years in prison
Loss of driver’s license up to two years

*After two or more DWI convictions in five years, you must install a special ignition switch that prevents your vehicle from being operated if you’ve been drinking.

DWI with a Child Passenger
Motorists can be charged with child endangerment for driving while intoxicated if they’re carrying passengers younger than 15 years old.
DWI with a child passenger is a felony and punishable with:
Up to a $10,000 fine
Up to two years in a state jail
Loss of driver’s license for 180 days