AUSTIN – A prisoner in his own body. This is how Sean Carter describes his life following his fateful decision 11 years ago to get into a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. When the driver slammed into a tree, then 22-year-old Sean was left severely injured and unable to walk or talk.
Texas Safety Summit | August 8-10
The 20th annual Texas Safety Summit will be held at the Sheraton Austin at the Capitol August 8-10. The Summit features top safety professionals, valuable information, and education on some of the most prevalent safety and health issues in Texas, including transportation safety.
Lisa Robinson from Our Driving Concern will be a featured speaker during the transportation safety session. Our Driving Concern will also host a free train-the-trainer workshop on August 8 at the Summit.
Register, view the Schedule and find out more on the event website.
Texans Standing Tall Statewide Summit | August 3-4
Texans Standing Tall’s 2016 Statewide Summit is a two-day event bringing together national and state experts, the TST Youth Leadership Council, and you, working to create community change across our state. Through keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and networking with fellow community members, learn more bout the role you can play at home, in schools, and in your town to decrease alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among youth.
Date:
August 3-4, 2016
Location:
Seton Healthcare Family Administration Offices
St. Vincent de Paul Auditorium – 1st Floor
1345 Philomela Street, Austin, TX 78723 [Read more…] about Texans Standing Tall Statewide Summit | August 3-4
DWI March for Change | April 22
Join AAA-Texas for the DWI March for Change, April 22, 2016 at the Texas State Capitol from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Download the flyer.
The goal of this silent march is to join together to remember lives lost as a result of impaired driving, as well as to encourage changes in people’s behavior to prevent other DWI-related injuries and fatalities in the future.
In Texas in 2015, DUI alcohol-related crashed caused:
- 23,999 crashes
- 884 fatalities
- 2,127 serious injuries
Participants will include law enforcement from around the state as well as people who’ve lost loved ones as a result of impaired driving.
For more information, contact Kara Thorp at 512-444-4767 ext. 224 or at [email protected].
TxDOT Urges Spring Breakers to Plan for a Sober Ride
During Spring Break 2015, there were 459 crashes in Texas involving young drivers (17-34 years of age) under the influence of alcohol. Those crashes led to 43 serious injuries and 16 fatalities.
The Texas Department of Transportation is hoping to reduce these numbers through “Plan While You Can,” a campaign that runs March 1-19 to coincide with Spring Break and an increase in DUI patrols and enforcement in Texas.
“Besides being a potentially deadly choice, the cost of a DUI is far-reaching with long-term consequences that can negatively impact a young person’s future,” said TxDOT Traffic Operations Division Director Carol Rawson. “Many of these young people are under 21 and it is against the law for them to drink alcohol. A young life cut short is a heartbreaking tragedy so we urge every driver to obey the law and make responsible choices.”
The “Plan While You Can” campaign is a multi-city tour featuring an interactive dodgeball game that uses gaming technology to replicate the effects of alcohol on a person’s reflexes. As participants play, virtual drinks are added and the players’ on-screen avatars become less able to dodge incoming “beach balls.” The game demonstrates how even one drink can slow reaction times.
The “Plan While You Can” tour will stop at The University of Texas at El Paso (3/1); The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (3/8); Texas Tech in Lubbock (3/10); Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels (3/12); South by Southwest in Austin (3/17); and South Padre Island (3/19).
Drivers under the influence of alcohol can face up to $17,000 in fines, legal fees, impoundment and other costs. As always, TxDOT strongly encourages everyone to plan for a sober ride before going out. Visit SoberRides.org to find alternatives to drinking and driving, such as:
- Calling a taxi or using a transportation app on your smartphone.
- Using mass transit.
- Asking a sober friend or family member for a ride home.
- Spending the night.
NHTSA Releases New ‘SaferRide’ Mobile App
In December the National Highway Traffic Safety Association released a new mobile app that allows users to call a taxi or friend while identifying their location so they can be picked up.
While the concept of using your phone to find a ride is not novel, having the phone pinpoint your exact location is a new twist on the technology.
The app is available for Android devices on Google Play, and Apple devices on the iTunes store.
It is against the law in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to drive a vehicle while legally drunk, with a blood alcohol concentration BAC of .08 or higher. All states prohibit anyone under the age of 21 to drink and drive with any alcohol in their system.
