AUSTIN, Texas — The holiday travel period is one of the busiest on the roads all year, as people travel to see family and friends.
But it was a deadly Christmas for drivers out on Austin roadways. Three people died in a pair of crashes on Highway 290 in East Austin overnight.
The first happened just before 9 p.m. on Christmas night, when a motorcycle hit a pedestrian in the 6800 block of U.S. Highway 290 in the westbound direction. Both people were treated at the scene for critical injuries but were eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
The second crash happened early Thursday morning. The incident involved one vehicle and happened just after 3 a.m. on the 9300 block of U.S. Hwy 290 heading eastbound. One adult died in the crash.
“The holiday should be a time of joy and togetherness, not tragedy, as friends and family gather to celebrate the season,” TxDOT Traffic Safety Program Manager Ruby Martinez said.
The cause of both of the crashes is not known. As of Dec. 17, Austin Police said there have been 91 deadly crashes in the city, resulting in 97 deaths.
Historically, the roads tend to be more dangerous during the year’s final days as many people travel to gather with family and friends for the holidays.
During the holiday season in 2023, there were nearly 50,000 crashes, 379 fatalities and 1,500 serious injuries across Texas.
AAA estimates that 9.1 million Texans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holidays. 90% of them, or about 8.5 million Texans, are expected to drive to their destination.
Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for AAA, said they expect roads throughout Central Texas to be busy starting on Friday and lasting through the weekend as people travel for the New Year’s holiday.
“If you are traveling, taking that road trip, try to hit the road as early as possible,” Shupe said. “You want to avoid those afternoon rush hour times if traveling during the week. That’s when people heading home from work are mixing with the travelers heading in and out of town.”
This year, the Texas Department of Transportation launched a new statewide holiday campaign targeting drunk driving. It is called “Drive Sober. No regrets.”
Texas is a leading state for alcohol-related crashes. Last year, one in four traffic deaths in Texas were related to drunk driving. During the holidays, that number increases to 28%.
“If you see that someone at a holiday gathering has been drinking, encourage them to find a sober ride or to stay put until they sober up, helping to prevent a potential crash is worth any temporarily awkward conversation,” Martinez said.
During the holiday season, TxDOT set up its traveling exhibit in front of Walmart stores to remind people to never drink and drive.
“If you choose to get behind the wheel after drinking, there will be consequences,” Martinez said. “A drunk driving crash can devastate the lives of victims and their families forever. Survivors can experience life-altering, disabling and permanent injuries.”
Yolanda Carson’s 23-year-old daughter, Jade Jiles, was hit and killed by a drunk driver while looking for a friend’s missing dog in 2013. She left behind a six-month-old son, Jacob.
“My daughter, Jade, will never be able to step inside a classroom to teach kids who she so passionately loved and cared for. Her heart was with the children. And she’ll never be able to raise Jacob or see him walk down the aisle her son, and that breaks my heart,” Carlson said. “We talk about her, but he will never have a hug from her, he would never see her smile, and he would never get the chance to hold her hand like so many other kids do with their parents because of this drunk driver and the senseless act that he did that night.”
Carlson and TxDOT are encouraging people not to get behind the wheel and drink and drive. If they do drink, Carlson is urging people to use a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft or get a ride home from a sober friend.
“Think about Jade. Think about Jacob, who’s lost his mom,” Carlson said. “Do not get behind that wheel and drink and drive. It’s just not worth it. It’s devastating for a parent to lose a child.”
It is a message Shupe and AAA are also pushing. AAA is reminding people to make a plan.
“If you do plan to celebrate this New Year with alcohol, make sure that you’re talking with your friends and your family, your coworkers about how you’re going to get to those destinations and get home safely,” Shupe said. “Don’t just talk about what you will do and where you will go. Have a plan of action for safe transportation that will get you to those New Year’s parties and get you home safely.”
Shupe also warns drivers to put down phones as other distractions and focus on the road in front of them.
“Texting while driving is truly a triple threat because it takes your eyes off of the roadway, your mind off of what should be the most important task at hand, which is focusing on driving safely, and it takes your hands off of the steering wheel,” he said. “Put those phones off or away and out of reach so you’re not tempted to use them. No text message, work email or social media post is worth somebody’s life.”
Anyone out on the roads over the next few days shouldn’t be surprised if they see more law enforcement than normal. Officers for state and local agencies are stepping up patrols between now and the new year. They will be out there looking for speeding drivers, people not wearing their seat belts and those driving under the influence or committing other traffic violations. When the Texas Department of Public Safety stepped up enforcement last year, it led to 103,000 tickets, including 28,000 for speeding and 1,500 for seat belt and child seat violations.
Austin Police told KVUE on Thursday that the department has no specific plans for increased traffic enforcement or heightened DWI enforcement on the roads because it is short-staffed. In October, the department extended its No Refusal 365 program to year-round. It is in effect Monday through Sunday between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., every night of the year, including holidays.
During these periods, if Austin Police arrest a driver who is suspected of driving drunk and the driver refuses to participate in a breathalyzer test, officers can get a warrant from a judge to mandate a blood draw from the driver.