TxDOT Encourages Safe Holiday Travels

Santa and his entourage—reindeer and elves—encourage Texans to have fun through the holidays. But, you better look out because he won’t be the only one watching.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will partner with law enforcement across the state to communicate important travel messages to keep citizens safe through the holidays. And, law enforcement will be working overtime to find and arrest folks who drive impaired.

TxDOT says follow some simple travel tips to make sure you arrive safely, and for goodness sake, don’t drink and drive.

“Be cautious and plan ahead,” said David Casteel, TxDOT assistant executive director for field and district operations. “Have fun, but be responsible.”

Here are some tips to consider before heading out:

• Be patient, allow enough time to reach your destination, and obey all traffic laws.
• Roads will be crowded, and this could lead to some aggressive driving on the part of other motorists. Be courteous in these situations and avoid bad driving actions that may make the situation worse i.e., road rage.
• Monitor the weather. If it’s going to be bad, particularly ice or snow events, consider staying home. Or rearrange your travel plans to avoid bad weather situations.
• If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving. Designate a driver or call a taxi or a sober friend. There were 1,159 serious injuries and 64 deaths from traffic crashes that occurred through the 2009/2010 Christmas and New Year’s holiday reporting periods.
• Be a responsible driver all year round. There were 12,408 alcohol-related fatal and injury crashes in Texas in 2009 that killed 956 motorists and injured 17,703 others.

“Like Santa, TxDOT wants everyone to have fun through the holidays,” said Carol Rawson, TxDOT Traffic Operations director. “More importantly, we want citizens to be safe. So, we are making a special effort to reach motorists with don’t drink and drive reminders that will pop up online as well as at locations where alcohol is served or purchased.”

Visit http://www.txdot.gov/safety/tips/winter_driving.htm for more winter weather driving tips. For information on Texas road conditions, call the Texas Travel Information Center at 800.452.9292 or visit TxDOT’s website at www.txdot.gov.