For Internal Use Only
TxDOT’s four goals: Maintain a safe system, address congestion, connect Texas communities, and be a Best-in-Class state agency
2013 Football Impaired Driving Campaign – Media Messaging and Q&A
Key Messages

There are a lot of game-day rituals. Part of getting ready for game day is planning a
sober ride.
o Plan for a sober ride by lining up a sober driver, having a taxicab phone number
handy or planning to ride the bus or train.
o Decide ahead of time who will be your designated driver if you plan to drink.
o A designated driver is not the person who’s had the fewest drinks; it’s a person
who plans to stay sober.
o Use SoberRides.org to map out safe ways to get home. It uses your current
location and the address of your destination to get you safely back. You can also
use it on your phone when you are out.

We’re seeing more alcohol-related crashes and fatalities on days when a Texas team —
whether it’s college or pro — has a game.
o Safety is our No. 1 priority. Help us prevent these crashes and fatalities by never
driving drunk.
o If your game-day activities involve drinking alcohol, be sure they don’t involve
getting behind the wheel.

TxDOT is urging Texans to get a sober ride — or prepare to get a DWI.
o Drunk driving can cost you jail time, your life or someone else’s life. It’s not
worth it.
o Planning a sober ride is a lot easier than spending time in jail.

TxDOT will be using and promoting #gameplan to encourage Texans to share their
sober ride plans.
o Help us build conversations around getting a sober ride during football season.
Show your support on social media for making a gameplan by using #gameplan
in your posts.
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Q&A
What happens at the community outreach events?
 The campaign will have a Fan Van touring the state. The Fan Van looks like a giant
football and will cruise around stadiums and other high-traffic areas near game-day
action.
 The Fan Van will allow us to reach Texans directly with a sober ride message.
 Fan Van staff members will remind people to plan a sober ride to avoid a DWI and help
save lives.
 Fan Van staffers will also provide information about the consequences of drinking and
driving, and will educate people about resources that can help them find a sober ride —
such as TxDOT's SoberRides.org website.
 Fans can play games on-site, and branded footballs will be given out to reinforce the
sober ride message.
 Each event attendee will be asked to pledge not to drink and drive this football season.
This pledge will enter attendees in a contest to win one of four donated $500 Best Buy
gift cards or the grand prize — a Man Cave of their own. [See below for details]
Where are the community outreach events?
 The Fan Van will visit college and NFL games around the state, or large gatherings of
fans, such as nearby tailgating events. The Fan Van will visit these markets in 2013:
o Oct. 12 – Texas vs. Oklahoma (Fair Park in Dallas)
o Oct. 19 – Abilene Christian University vs. Incarnate Word (Abilene)
o Oct. 26 – SMU vs. Temple (Dallas)
o Nov. 2 – Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma State (Lubbock)
o Nov. 7 (Thursday) – Baylor vs. Oklahoma (Waco)
o Nov. 9 – Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State (College Station)
o Nov. 16 – Texas A&M-Kingsville vs. Valdosta State (Kingsville)
o Nov. 23 – Lamar University vs. McNeese State (Beaumont)
o Nov. 24 – Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL, Houston)
o Dec. 30 – Valero Alamo Bowl (San Antonio)
 In January and February 2014, the Fan Van will also stop at select grocery stores to
engage fans who are stocking up on food and beverages for game-day home footballviewing parties. Fan Van staff members will educate people about ensuring they get a
sober ride from those parties and will remind hosts to have sober ride options for their
guests, such as phone numbers handy for taxi cab service.
Why did TxDOT choose these cities for the community outreach events?
 In an effort to reach fans directly, we are focusing community events on areas where
there are college or professional football games occurring.
 People around the state will be made aware of the dangers of drinking and driving, and
the need to plan a sober ride.
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Is TxDOT educating people in other cities about drunk driving during football season?
 Yes, our efforts will be statewide. We will reach Texans through social media channels,
TV ads, radio reads, mobile ads, and signage at bars and convenience stores — as a few
examples.
How much does this campaign cost?
 The statewide football drunk driving campaign has a $1 million budget spread over a
one year period. Our goal with all of these campaigns is to save lives. How do you put a
dollar figure on the life of someone you love?
What is the Man Cave, and what are the other prizes?
 Everyone who makes a pledge has the chance to win a Man Cave or $500 Best Buy gift
cards if they pledge not to drink and drive this football season.
 The Man Cave consists of the perfect entertainment package: a 60-inch flat screen TV
and home theater system, a massage chair, a basketball hoop and dart board, a putting
mat, a folding poker table and a small vending machine-style cooler (all donated to
TxDOT).
How do you enter to win the Man Cave and other prizes?
 People can enter one of three ways, and all contest details can be found at
TexasGamePlan.com.
o Texting: Pledge not to drink and drive this football season by texting the
keyword “gameplan” to 42330.
o Online/Mobile: Go to TexasGamePlan.com and pledge not to drink and drive
this football season.
o Tweet on Twitter at TxDOT: Win or lose, I pledge to have a #gameplan for a
sober ride @TxDOT
 One person will ultimately win the Man Cave, while four people can win the Best Buy
gift cards.
 All prizes will be awarded after the Super Bowl, and you can enter to win throughout
football season.
Did TxDOT pay for the Man Cave or Best Buy gift cards?
 No. The Man Cave and Best Buy gift cards were donated to the football drunk driving
campaign. [FYI, IF ASKED: Man Cave is "Brought to you by SharperImage.com and Best
Buy"].
What is considered drunk driving?
 In Texas, the legal limit for intoxication is .08 BAC (blood or breath alcohol
concentration.) However, drivers can be arrested with a BAC below .08 when a law
enforcement officer has probable cause, based on the driver’s behavior.
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What are the estimated DWI fines?

A DWI can cost a driver up to $17,000. It’s an estimate based on fines, legal fees,
impoundment and other costs associated with a DWI/DUI. The total cost of an offense
like this can add up to thousands more than $17,000 and, at other times, less. This figure
is used because it is a plausible number, considering average fees and fines. See a few
below:
o License reinstatement fee: $125
o Alcohol education classes: $135
o Average fine: $500
o Bail: $185-$5,000
o Attorney fees: $275-$1,500
o Vehicle towing and retrieving from pound: $125-$200
o Car storage fee per day: $16
o Probation fees: $960
o DWI surcharge (BAC 0.08-0.16): $1,000
o DWI surcharge (BAC 0.16 or higher): $2,000/year for three years
What are the latest statistics TxDOT has regarding football season drunk driving?
 In 2012, 1,612 Driving Under the Influence-alcohol (DUI-alcohol) traffic crashes in Texas
occurred on football game days when a Texas college or NFL team was playing;
compared to 1,591 in 2011.

In 2012, 57 people lost their lives because of drinking and driving on football game days
when a Texas college or NFL team was playing. There were 45 deaths in 2011. That is a
27 percent increase (exact number: 26.7%) from 2011 to 2012.
City-specific statistics: DUI-alcohol traffic crashes on football game days when a Texas
college or NFL team was playing:
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Abilene
o 2012 = 24
o 2011 = 25
Austin
o 2012 = 220
o 2011 = 231
Beaumont
o 2012 = 10
o 2012 = 11
Brownsville
o 2012 = 26
o 2011 = 20
College Station
o 2012 = 13
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o
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2011 = 23
Corpus Christi
o 2012 = 61
o 2011 = 57
Dallas
o 2012 = 225
o 2011 = 229
El Paso
o 2012 = 128
o 2011 = 141
Fort Worth
o 2012 = 116
o 2011 = 120
Harlingen
o 2012 = 14
o 2011 = 10
Houston
o 2012 = 262
o 2011 = 262
Kingsville5
o 2012 = 5
o 2011 = 3
Lubbock
o 2012 = 68
o 2011 = 66
McAllen
o 2012 = 43
o 2011 = 31
Pharr
o 2012 = 3
o 2011 = 15
San Antonio
o 2012 = 361
o 2011 = 314
Waco
o 2012 = 33
o 2011 = 33
Visit our website, www.txdot.gov, for more information, and check us out Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/TxDOT.
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