The 2020 Texas Statewide Impaired Driving Forum will be held February 12, 2020. Save the date!

The first issue of the Impaired Driving Task Force newsletter is available to download now. This issue features:

• A synopsis of the 2019 Impaired Driving Forum
• New member list
• Information on the next Texas Impaired Driving Task Force meeting
• Information on speaker proposals for the 2020 Impaired Driving Forum
• Member updates
• Upcoming events

If you would like to add anything to the next edition of the newsletter, please send your information to Paige Ericson-Graber by Friday, July 26, 2019.

Every year, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) offers training to Justices of the Peace in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TTI’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Reporting Project works to improve BAC and toxicology reporting of drivers that are fatally injured as a result of a motor vehicle crash to TxDOT. To achieve the goal of improving BAC reporting in the state, TTI will host a free one-day, in-person Summit to educate new Justices of the Peace on BAC reporting practices on July 26 in Austin, Texas.

To obtain further information and register for the Summit, please visit: https://groups.tti.tamu.edu/cades/summit-on-improving-blood-alcohol-concentration-reporting-in-texas-2/

Register now to attend the Zero Alcohol for Youth Academy in Houston, Texas, on May 25 from 9 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Attendance is FREE! Pre-registration is required to ensure sufficient food and seating. Registration and full agenda can be found at Youth.TexansStandingTall.org. 

 What is a Zero Alcohol for Youth Academy? 

Academies are opportunities for youth and adults to collaborate to tackle underage drinking and impaired driving. Sessions are led by Texans Standing Tall staff, Youth Leadership Council members, and local leaders. This day-long event provides: 

• An understanding of underage drinking and Zero Tolerance Laws 
• Meaningful activities that support effective youth and adult partnerships 
• Leadership and community engagement skills 
• Tools to effectively create change 

 The Problem of Underage Drinking 

Among Texas youth, alcohol is the primary substance of choice. In Houston, 21% of 7-12th grade students report drinking alcohol before age 13. This is concerning because underage drinking harms the developing brain and is associated with impaired driving, poor academic performance, physical violence, sexual assault, and suicides. 

 The Power of Youth & Adult Partnerships 

When youth and adults work together, people take notice! Many young people are passionate about the issues facing their generation. With support and training from adults, youth can bring valuable energy and effort to improving the community. Young people play a critical role in shaping the programs and policies that affect them. Youth and adult partnerships often result in more effective and sustainable programs, youth-serving organizations, and advocacy. 

At an Academy, youth and adults learn to work together to take action and become part of the solution! 

Schedule-at-a-Glance 

• Morning – State and local leaders speak on youth substance use trends and evidence-based prevention strategies 
• Lunch (provided) – Community building 
• Afternoon – Interactive breakout sessions 

Download the flyer.

Car crashes remain the leading cause of injury and death for young persons under the age of 25. Two of the leading causes of these crashes that involve young drivers in Texas are distracted driving and impaired driving (under the influence of alcohol or drugs). The U in the Driver Seat (UDS) peer-to-peer program continues to engage college students — empowering and motivating them to engage each other about traffic safety on their college campuses and in their communities.

The UDS Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) held its annual Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, April 26–27, 2019. With the support of the Texas Department of Transportation, State Farm, and TEAM Coalition, the symposium was available at no cost to college-aged students representing different colleges from across Texas and offered prizes for year-long and on-site contests.

UDS, a young adult injury prevention program focusing on motor vehicle crashes, helps students learn about the risks they face behind the wheel and supports them in spreading safe driving messages to their campus and community. This year’s symposium slogan was Be the Change in Traffic Safety, and featured speakers, breakout sessions and interactive activities targeted at educating and motivating college-aged drivers that they have the power to change risky driving behaviors — in effect, to save their own lives and the lives of other drivers and passengers on the road.

Keynote speaker Cara Filler offered an eye-opening presentation on traffic safety and risk taking. Her message inspires people to speak up for themselves and their friends, and to design a life by choice, not by chance. A day after Cara and her twin sister Mairin’s 18th birthday, Cara watched her twin sister die in a high-speed car crash. Her twin sister’s new boyfriend was traveling at more than 100 mph in a 30-mph zone when he lost control of his car. Her boyfriend walked away from the crash — Mairin did not. What Cara gained was a desire to inspire people to live life to its fullest and educate others on the consequences of reckless driving and the difference that good choices can make.

“Our statewide statistics bear out that young adult drivers are dying unnecessarily on Texas highways,” stated Russell Henk, manager of TTI’s Youth Transportation Safety Program. “Our annual symposium informs students about how risky driving behaviors can negatively impact their driving skills and aims to improve those statistics by changing behaviors in a positive way.”

For the third year in a row, UDS partnered with Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM), a 501c(3) non-profit coalition recognized nationally for promoting responsible drinking at sports and entertainment events. TEAM sponsored the 60-second video contest where participating schools created a PSA on TEAMing Up to Be the DUDE (Designated Unimpaired Driver Extraordinaire). The winning videos were produced by The University of Texas at Arlington, Texas A&M International University, and Texas A&M University–Kingsville. Representatives from the winning schools were awarded Amazon Fire TV Sticks and Amazon Bluetooth speakers donated by TEAM Coalition.

To conclude the event and recognize schools for their active participation in the UDS program throughout the 2018–2019 school year, an awards dinner was held. Cash awards, sponsored by State Farm, were presented to the top three schools: Texas A&M Kingsville, The University of Texas at Dallas, and The University of Texas at San Antonio for the annual UDS Cup competition; and students left re-energized to compete in 2019–2020. Along with school cash awards, Jacob Martinez, a student at Texas A&M Kingsville, was also awarded a $250 scholarship for his work as a Collegiate Advisory Board member.

Now in its seventh year, the UDS program hopes to continue work with both public and private organizations to tackle the issues of risky driving behavior in Texas.