Motorists encouraged to buckle up, drive sober Memorial Day weekend
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Texas roads are expected to be bustling this Memorial Day weekend, and motorists are being encouraged to buckle up and drive sober.
Memorial Day road trips are up 6% over last year in Texas, with 3 million people expected to drive to their destinations, AAA Texas says.
According to TxDOT, there were 958 fatalities caused by impaired driving in Texas in 2020. During Memorial Day weekend 2019, there were a total of 360 DUI alcohol-related traffic crashes.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) recommends multiple safety tips to prevent drunk driving accidents over Memorial Day weekend.
That includes planning ahead and designating a sober driver, being a responsible host and offering non-alcoholic beverages, utilizing rideshare services like Uber or Lyft, and reporting someone who could be driving under the influence.
TxDOT says from now until June 4, law enforcement from across Texas will be working overtime ticketing drivers who aren't wearing their seat belts as part of their Click it or Ticket campaign.
In 2022, there were 1,258 people killed who were not wearing their seat belt, a 2.5% increase from the year before, according to TxDOT.
"It's critical for everyone to take just a few seconds to buckle up, every ride, every time," said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. "Wearing a seat belt is one of the most important precautions motorists and their passengers can take to protect themselves in a crash. Whatever reason you may have for not buckling up, I promise it's not worth your life."
