Drunk driving continues to be a major problem, causing thousands of car accident deaths and injuries in Texas each year. The Texas Department of Transportation has tried numerous public education and enforcement programs to try to curb drunk driving dangers. Their latest campaign involves putting a human face on the dangers associated with drunk driving.
Our Austin, TX injury lawyers know that driving while intoxicated can more than double the risk of a car wreck occurring. Unfortunately, drunk drivers don’t just endanger themselves when they make the choice to drive drunk — their actions can also affect the lives of other innocent victims. The DOT’s “Faces of Drunk Driving Campaign,” highlights some of those victims and draws attention to how devastating drunk driving crashes can be to individuals and families.
The Faces of Drunk Driving Campaign
According to WFAA, there were more than 25,000 alcohol-related crashes in Texas last year. On just one day — the Fourth of July — more than 133 crashes occurred due to drunk drivers. Many of those involved in these accidents – including innocent victims – suffered life threatening injuries. Far too many others lost their lives.
The Texas DOT is now telling the stories of some of the drunk driving victims in the hope that putting a face to the dangers of drunk driving will help to discourage people from getting behind the wheel when they have had too much to drink.
One of the Faces of Drunk Driving, as reported by WFAA, was a young girl who was in the car on the way home from getting her haircut. Her accident occurred at around 3:30 in the afternoon on the corner of 28th Street and Sylvania in Fort Worth. The car she was riding in was hit by a drunk driver, causing the young girl to sustain very serious injuries.
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The little girl hurt by the drunk driver was three days shy of her eighth birthday. The accident rendered her paralyzed for life. Now aged nine, she indicates that not a day goes by that she does not pray to walk again. Her deep desire to walk again comes from the fact that she can no longer do the things she used to, like play games with her little brother. She also expressed sadness that kids stare at her when she is in her wheelchair.
The driver who hit the young girl received 10 years in prison, but nothing can bring back what the accident victim lost. The Texas DOT hopes that stories such as this will help to prevent future car accidents from occurring as a result of intoxicated drivers.
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The Faces of Drunk Driving Campaign includes a website as well as videos in which victims tell their stories. Events will also be held across the state, during which victims will stand in front of 1,170 Texas flags as they share their stories. The flags represent the number of people killed in drunk driving accidents last year and are a powerful reminder of the huge loss caused by intoxicated drivers.
If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident, contact the Austin injury lawyers at Bertolino LLP today.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
