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Following the roundtable the Congresswoman convened last month, today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16), County Judge Ricardo Samaniego, and community leaders announced the launch of a new webpage aimed at preventing DWIs and promoting responsible celebrations during the holiday season.

“The risk and danger created by people who have had too much to drink and make the decision to get behind the wheel is not a new challenge for El Paso,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “As El Pasoans go out and celebrate the holidays over the next two weeks, we know that this risk will only grow. As the stakeholders I recently convened continue meeting and discussing solutions, I’m thrilled about this webpage that includes vouchers for El Pasoans to act responsibly after celebrating during the holiday season.”

“This County resource page is intended to serve as destination where El Pasoans can go to utilize vouchers for safe transportation and get information on how to celebrate responsibly,” said El Paso County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego. “Drinking and driving is dangerous and always preventable. I encourage El Pasoans to set an example this holiday season and plan ahead.”

"As the holiday season approaches, this webpage is an important step in keeping drunk drivers off the road," said Oscar Ugarte, El Paso County Sheriff-Elect. "Drunk driving is preventable, and offering sober ride options gives everyone a chance to celebrate responsibly. I'm committed to doing everything I can to keep our community safe."

“The DA office’s grant in partnership with TxDOT provides ride share vouchers to people who download them. There are a limited number of $20 vouchers available every month, and it is important for people to plan to use them and decide not to drive after drinking any amount of alcohol,” said James Montoya, District Attorney-Elect.

“As a distributor of alcoholic beverages, we take our part in drinking and driving prevention seriously. While we understand that our beverages will be a part of celebrations and friendly gatherings, it is never okay to drink and drive. That is why we are proud to stand behind Anheuser-Busch’s ‘Decide to Ride’ program with Uber,” said Lisa Piesen, L&F El Paso Managing Partner.

"It’s incredibly important that we all do our part to ensure El Pasoans are celebrating the holidays responsibly. We’re proud to join the coalition of leaders in our community to ensure we all do our part to make sure El Pasoans have other options than to get behind the wheel after a night out," said Johnny Escalante, Managing Partner for J&K Hospitality.

“Statewide, 26% of fatal crashes involve alcohol. During the holidays that number is 28%, and TxDOT urges drivers to plan ahead for a sober ride. Drunk driving is 100% preventable," said Tomas Trevino, El Paso District Engineer for TxDOT.

The DWI Rideshare webpage can be found here. It was one of the proposed solutions that arose from a roundtable and press conference convened by Congresswoman Escobar on November 26th. Participants at her roundtable included local leaders from all parts of the El Paso government, Fort Bliss leadership, law enforcement, and more.

As she continues to convene this group, Congresswoman Escobar encourages El Pasoans to share this webpage and spread the word. If you have ideas or suggestions you’d like for her and the group to consider, please submit them at her website: https://escobar.house.gov/contact/