Santa’s Reindeer Grounded For Drinking — TxDOT Unveils New Animated TV Commercial To Curb Drunk Driving

AUSTIN Santa’s reindeer star in a new animated TV commercial produced by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and airing throughout Texas this month. In the spot, Santa’s reindeer are grounded for drinking on Christmas Eve, prompting Santa to hook up his sleigh to a quartet of yellow taxis. TxDOT’s message to holiday revelers: if you’ve been drinking, designate a driver or take a cab to get home safely.

With holiday revelry now in full swing, state officials are urging motorists to take the precautionary step of planning ahead to get home safely when their holiday celebrations include alcohol.

“Drunk driving will ruin the holidays for hundreds of families,” said Carlos Lopez, TxDOT’s traffic operations director. “We can’t say it enough: plan ahead and plan not to get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking.”

TxDOT’s 9th annual holiday-themed campaign also uses radio commercials based on popular Christmas carols, billboards along interstate highways, ads at gas stations and festive coasters in bars and restaurants to deliver the reminder to designate a driver. The $500,000 public education initiative extends through New Year’s Day.

Safety advocates credit stepped-up enforcement of the state’s DWI laws and ongoing advertising reminding Texans not to drink and drive with the continued decline in impaired driving fatalities. Federal officials report that 135 fewer people died in Texas last year in alcohol-related crashes than in 2004, continuing the trend from 2003.

Supporting increased traffic enforcement allows TxDOT to accomplish one of its primary goals of enhancing safety on Texas highways.

The Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Texas Municipal Police Association and Valero Corporation are also participating in the holiday DWI-prevention campaign.

Penalties for a first-time DWI offense include driver’s license suspension for up to one year, a fine of up to $2,000 and up to six months in jail.