Save a Life

Save a Life isn't just the name of the Texas Department of Transportation's DWI-prevention and public education program – it's a call to action for everyone using Texas roads and freeways.

Texas drivers look out for others. They help each other. They don't let others drive drunk, they don't tolerate those who do, or ride with them.

Drinking and driving injures or kills Texas drivers every day. This is why the Save a Life program wants these stories to be heard. They do it for the same reason Sean and Jacqui tell us their stories – to save lives.

Happy Hour Fail

Don't have a designated driver? If you get a DWI, jail is only the beginning.

Choose Your Ride

Sobering Stats

Alcohol is the leading contributing factor in traffic crashes that claim the lives of more than
1,000 people in Texas every year¹.

On average, every 31 minutes, someone will be injured or killed in Texas as a result of an alcohol-impaired driver. In 2011, 24,134 alcohol-related crashes were recorded, resulting in the loss of 1,037 lives¹.

18- to 34-year-old adults are the most likely not only to cause an alcohol-related crash but also to be a victim. More than 13,900 drivers in this age group were involved in alcohol-related crashes in 2011¹, and 333 young alcohol-impaired drivers died¹.

While statistics reveal that males cause most alcohol-related crashes, a recent FBI study shows the number of women who were arrested for DUIs increased 36 percent in 2010².

Average users spend about 55 minutes per day on Facebook, sharing photos, videos, and personal details of their life – it is their own personal billboard. On an average day, 20 percent of users comment on another person's photo, with an additional 26 percent liking other people's comments³.

Research has shown that community-based action, with appropriate engagement of different stakeholders, can effectively reduce the harmful use of alcohol⁴.

Texas DWI Laws

DWI - Driving While Intoxicated

A person is legally intoxicated and may be arrested and charged with DWI with a .08 BAC (blood or breath alcohol concentration). However, drivers can be arrested and convicted when impaired due to alcohol or other drugs regardless of BAC. Whether you're the driver or the passenger, you can be fined up to $500 for having an open alcohol container in a vehicle.

If you are 17 or older, you are an adult in Texas. You can and will be arrested and charged as an adult if you commit DWI. If you are under 17 you can and will be referred to the juvenile justice system for DWI, just like any other crime committed by a juvenile.

Underage Drinking

Any amount of alcohol is off limits if you're under 21 – no attempt to buy it, none in your possession, none if you are driving.

MIP - Minor in Possession

If you're a minor (under 21), here's what happens the first time you are found in possession of alcohol. Any amount of beer, wine, or liquor can trigger the penalties.
- Up to a $500 fine
- Loss of driver's license for 30 to 180 days
- Eight to 40 hours of community service
- Mandatory alcohol awareness classes

DUI - Driving Under the Influence

If you're under 21, it is illegal for you to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in your system. Punishment for DUI varies depending on your age at the time of citation.

If you're under 21

Here's what happens the first time you are stopped with any amount of alcohol in your system:

- Up to a $500 fine
- 60-day driver's license suspension
- 20 to 40 hours of community service
- Mandatory alcohol awareness classes