1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

How many more innocent Americans must die before this country finally treats drunk driving like the national public safety crisis it is? Every single year, nearly 12,000 people are killed by drunk drivers in the United States. Hundreds of thousands more are left with catastrophic injuries, lifelong trauma, and shattered families. These deaths are not unavoidable accidents. They are preventable tragedies — and Congress already took the first step toward stopping them. In 2021, Congress passed the bipartisan HALT Drunk Driving Act as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. That law directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create a rule requiring new passenger vehicles to include built-in passive technology capable of preventing impaired driving before it starts. Now that this lifesaving law exists, Congress must defend it, fully support its implementation, and ensure it is not delayed, weakened, or quietly abandoned under pressure from industry lobbyists or political gamesmanship. Drunk drivers are dangerous to everyone on American roads. They endanger children riding home from school, families traveling on vacations, workers commuting to their jobs, and first responders risking their lives every day. The American people should not have to gamble with their lives every time they get behind the wheel because lawmakers refuse to act decisively. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that when fully implemented, the HALT Drunk Driving Law could save more than 10,000 lives every year. Think about that number. Tens of thousands of parents, children, spouses, friends, and neighbors could still be alive over the next decade if Congress has the courage to follow through. This should not be partisan. Protecting Americans from drunk drivers is basic public safety. We already require seat belts, airbags, and countless other safety measures because we know they save lives. Anti-drunk driving technology is the next necessary step. Do not back away from this law. Do not delay implementation. Do not allow political pressure or corporate lobbying to outweigh human life. Support and protect the HALT Drunk Driving Law. Ensure NHTSA has the authority and resources needed to implement it fully and quickly. Hold hearings, demand accountability, and push this lifesaving technology forward before another innocent person is killed by a repeat drunk driver who never should have been on the road in the first place. The American people are tired of watching preventable deaths pile up while Washington stalls. Every delay costs lives. Every year of inaction means thousands more empty seats at dinner tables across this country. Enough excuses. Enough delays. Act now.