Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The end of summer should be a time of celebration, yet Labor Day continues to be a time when too many people choose to drive impaired.
The danger is real. Last year, 35% of all Texas crash fatalities were drug or alcohol related. Over Labor Day Weekend 2025, that number climbed to 57%, with 26 people killed in less than four days.
To help prevent more families from facing that kind of loss, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is supporting increased law enforcement efforts statewide and taking its Drive Sober. No Regrets. campaign on the road. safe. The message is simple: Drive like a Texan by being kind, courteous, and safe—and never driving impaired.
STATS FROM OUR REGION:
- In the Pharr District during the 2025 Labor Day holiday time period, there were 13 DUI-alcohol related traffic crashes, resulting in 1 fatality and 1 serious injury.
- In the Pharr District in 2025, there were 1,203 DUI-all related (drug or alcohol) traffic crashes, resulting in 32 fatalities and 127 serious injuries.
- In the Pharr District during the 2025 Labor Day holiday time period, there were 14DUI-all related (drug or alcohol) traffic crashes, resulting in 1 fatality and 1 serious injury.
The deadly reality of impaired driving
During Labor Day Weekend last year, a person was killed by an impaired driver every three hours.
“There is never a good reason to drive impaired. You always have options,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “Texans look out for one another. If you are celebrating Labor Day, make the choice that protects your friends, your neighbors and every other person on the road: arrange your ride before you start.”
Alcohol isn’t the only risk. Cannabis, cold medicine, prescription drugs and any substance that affects judgment or motor function can make driving dangerous. Texans have better options: call a rideshare, take public transit, designate a sober driver or stay where you are. The safest plan is the one made before impairment begins.
What is TxDOT doing?
• A former beverage delivery truck now retrofitted to deliver sober driving messages will travel the state.
• Interactive activities on the mobile display will show why impaired driving is dangerous and why planning ahead is the Texan thing to do.
• TxDOT is also providing grant funding to law enforcement agencies across the state as they boost efforts to identify and arrest impaired drivers from Aug. 14 through Sept. 7.
• This coincides with the national heightened enforcement period sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Information source: TxDOT
