AUSTIN, Texas— Between 2003 and 2012, 13,138 Texans lost their lives in crashes involving intoxicated drivers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With that sobering statistic in mind, the Texas Department of Transportation on Thursday is launching its Faces of Drunk Driving campaign.

In 2020, there were more than 23,000 DUI-alcohol related crashes in Texas alone, with nearly 1,000 of them resulting in fatalities. This means on average, a person in Texas dies every nine hours and six minutes in an alcohol-related crash.

The Faces of Drunk Driving campaign features real faces and stories through testimonials in both English and Spanish to share the tragedies that drinking and driving create. The campaign includes personal accounts from offenders, victims and families of those who have survived or families of those whose lives have been shattered due to impaired driving.

”Drinking and driving can lead to tragic consequences that are 100% preventable,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “These consequences involve individuals who made the unfortunate decision to drink and drive along with many innocent victims of those decisions.  This is why it is critical to always plan ahead for a sober ride through a designated driver, taxi, ride-share app or simply by staying where you are. Drinking and driving do not mix.”

TxDOT reminds you to not get behind the wheel if you’ve had any amount of alcohol. Rideshare, calling a friend or family and having a designated driver is the safe choice to get to your destination.

The Faces of Drunk Driving is a key component in the #EndTheStreakTX, which is a statewide campaign asking Texans to commit to driving safely to end the streak of daily deaths on Texas roads since Nov. 7, 2000.