Special to the Bulletin
AUSTIN — As summer travel ramps up and Fourth of July celebrations approach, the Texas Department of Transportation is urging motorists to make plans for a sober ride home and avoid driving while impaired.
TxDOT's 'Drive Sober. No Regrets.' campaign coincides with a nationwide enforcement period that runs through July 6, when law enforcement agencies across Texas will increase patrols aimed at identifying impaired drivers and reducing alcohol- and drug-related crashes.
According to TxDOT, 1,254 people died in impaired driving crashes in Texas in 2025, an average of three deaths each day. The agency said drivers who combine alcohol and THC are 25 times more likely to cause a fatal crash.
'There is no safe level of impaired driving,' TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a news release. 'Avoiding a crash or arrest doesn't make the choice any less dangerous. The risk is real and the consequences can be permanent. Avoid the 'what ifs' and always drive sober.'
The campaign comes as Texans prepare for increased travel, World Cup events and Independence Day celebrations.
TxDOT officials noted that impairment can result not only from alcohol, but also from THC, prescription medications and overthe- counter drugs. The agency encourages motorists to designate a sober driver, use a rideshare service, call a friend or family member, take public transportation or remain where they are until sober.
The campaign also highlights the story of Carly Beatty, a 19-year-old Texas A&M University student from Frisco who was struck and killed by an impaired driver in 2019 while walking home in College Station.
“She had her whole life ahead of her,” her mother, Sue Beatty, said in a news release. “Carly did not deserve what happened to her. She had hopes and dreams that have now ended because someone chose to drive impaired.”
In addition to the risk of injury or death, a driving while intoxicated conviction can carry fines and fees of up to $17,000, along with possible jail time, license suspension and other penalties.
TxDOT's campaign is part of its 'Drive Like a Texan: Kind. Courteous. Safe.' initiative.
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