TxDOT Houston Sober Ride Campaign

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Houston District is pleased to announce a new campaign with Houston ConnectSmart to promote safe driving practices by providing Uber Vouchers during Houston’s spring event season, including events at NRG Park.

To encourage individuals to avoid the perils of drinking and driving, Houston ConnectSmart will be providing both new and current users with $20 Uber Vouchers to help cover the cost of taking an Uber ride to and from major spring events, from February 22 to March 17, 2024.*

With Texas consistently leading the United States in crashes and fatalities, particularly related to impaired driving, it's crucial to address this issue comprehensively. In 2022, Texas recorded 1,959 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, with the highest concentration in Harris County at 338 lives lost. TxDOT remains committed to implementing a variety of initiatives, from education to enforcement, to reduce these numbers and save more lives.

"Impaired driving remains a significant challenge on our Houston roads, and with the support of Houston ConnectSmart, we are taking proactive steps to promote safer and smarter driving habits," said Ugonna Ughanze, TxDOT Director of Transportation Operations. "Our goal is to encourage individuals to utilize ride-hailing services instead of driving under the influence (DUI), ultimately making our roads safer for everyone."

Ride-hailing services like Uber have been shown to significantly reduce crash and impaired driving rates by offering a convenient alternative to driving while impaired. A recent independent, peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that following Uber's introduction to the Houston market in 2014, weekend motor vehicle crash traumas decreased by about 39 percent among individuals under 30, a demographic more prone to impaired driving. The analysis also found a notable decrease in DUI arrests across alldays of the week, with the most significant reduction observed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

This campaign marks another step forward in TxDOT's ongoing efforts to promote safe driving practices and reduce impaired driving incidents. For more information about this initiative, please contact Danny Perez, TxDOT Houston District Public Information Officer at (713)-802-5077 or via email at DannyPerez@txdot.gov.

*Uber Voucher Terms and Conditions Apply. Vouchers are available while supplies last and expire on March 18, 2024. For detailed information on the Uber voucher program, visit HoustonConnectSmart.com/blog. ConnectSmart is available for free download in the App Store and on Google Play.

About Houston ConnectSmart: By combining mobility data and regional resources into one unified platform, ConnectSmart delivers a better experience to Greater Houston Region travelers while helping to achieve TxDOT's goals of improving regional mobility, enhancing safety, reducing traffic congestion, addressing equity, and minimizing construction impacts. The free ConnectSmart mobile app links communities and provides multiple mobility alternatives to driving alone. ConnectSmart is making the Houston region less congested and more connected -- and an even better place to live and work. www.houstonconnectsmart.com.