BEAUMONT, Texas — The Texas Department of Transportation is rolling out their latest campaign to show the consequences of driving under the influence.
The "Faces of Drunk Driving" campaign aims to brings awareness to the dangers of driving drunk and the families it will impact.
In 2022, 37 people in Southeast Texas alone died because of drunk drivers, meaning that 37 different groups of families, friends and children will never hug their loved ones again.
Sarah Dupre with TxDOT says drinking and driving and alcohol-related cares are preventable.
"These are real people making bad decisions. These are real people who are never going to see their loved ones again," Dupre said.
Jacob Blanchard lost his 20-year-old daughter Jillian Blanchard in June of 2020 after she was hit head on by drunk driver Jerrod Lee Watkins.
"There's no doubt at the level of impairment that he was, he would have definitely hit someone else. My daughter was someone else's angel that day," Blanchard said.
Blanchard says the ripple effects last forever.
"She'll never be able to have kids, she'll never get married. I'll never be a grandparent because of it, so that ripple effect hurts," Blanchard said.
Currently 26% of all traffic deaths on the Texas roadways are caused by drunk drivers.
This is about three people dying every day, according to TxDOT.
Blanchard became a member of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, where he shares his stories with DWI offenders.
"The person you kill may be someone that you love. Okay? So, you don't always kill a stranger. So, when you get behind the wheel as a drunk driver you could literally kill your own brother and sister or your own parents and if you think of it that way you'll never do the act," Blanchard said.
November 7, 2000 was the last day a person was not killed on Texas roadways by an impaired driver.
TxDOT reminds everyone to always choose a sober ride and that there are various rideshare apps available for use.
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