Drinking and driving over spring break could land you in the “DWI Not So Fun House” or worse

AUSTIN – What begins as a fun time with friends over spring break can turn tragic in an instant, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is reminding everyone to always get a sober ride.

Shocking cell phone video shows the moments before 17-year-old Andrea Elizalde of Amarillo was killed in a crash in the spring of 2019.

Elizalde was just weeks away from graduating from high school with dreams of becoming a brain surgeon, when she was thrown from a Corvette after her inebriated friend hit a light pole at 110 mph on an Amarillo highway.

Five years later, tragedy continues to strike young Texans who don’t take the dangers of drinking and driving seriously.

Andrea’s father, David Elizalde, started the nonprofit Andrea’s Project to share his daughter’s tragic story with other students.

“If I can save people from getting DWIs and save people’s lives, I’ll have really accomplished something in my daughter’s honor,” Elizalde said.

This spring, TxDOT will take this same message to college students around the state as part of its “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign.

“There is never a good reason to drive after drinking,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “Everyone has the opportunity to choose a sober ride and prevent horrific crashes.”

During the 2023 spring break period, there were 375 alcohol-related crashes in Texas involving drivers between the ages of 17 and 30, including nine deaths. That’s more than half of all drunk driving crashes in the same 10-day period.

Students can save lives by designating a sober driver, using rideshares, taxis and mass transit, or simply staying put after drinking. To spread this message, TxDOT is partnering with the campus-based group U in the Driver Seat and other student leaders across Texas throughout March.

TxDOT will travel the state with its mobile “DWI Not So Fun House” exhibit to give the community an up-close look at the risks of drunk driving.

The exhibit features video stories from drunk-driving survivors and offenders to illustrate the consequences of driving impaired. It also includes an arcade-style driving simulator to demonstrate the effects of alcohol on motor skills and reaction time.

TxDOT’s “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign is a key component of #EndTheStreakTX, a broader social media and word-of-mouth effort that encourages drivers to make safer choices while behind the wheel to help end the streak of daily deaths. Nov. 7, 2000, was the last deathless day on Texas roadways.