Texas readers may have read about an ignition interlock penalty for repeat drunk driving offenders. The device works similar to a breath test. A driver must blow into the device before starting the car, and the vehicle won’t start for blood alcohol content readings above a designated level. At least one Texas judge has taken […]
Today’s post is a follow-up regarding the arrest of Texas state Rep. Naomi Gonzalez for driving while intoxicated. The 34-year-old lawmaker recently apologized to her peers on the floor of the Texas house. Gonzalez stated that she made a mistake, asked for understanding, and pledged that nothing similar would ever happen again. Her peers responded […]
With each passing year, it seems Texas authorities more aggressively target drinking while intoxicated offenders. Now, even technology is contributing to that effort. In the case of one traffic patrol officer in Texas, it placed him in the top 10 leading officers in the state for DWI arrests. The technology is called the Law Enforcement […]
Football fans in Texas and across the country recently enjoyed another Super Bowl Sunday. For many, the festivities included drinking. Yet when the game is over, some fans may be confronted with the temptation to drive while intoxicated, especially when the distance to home is short. In an effort to encourage extra vigilance, at least […]
Texas country music fans may have heard that singer Randy Travis recently pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated. The arrest occurred last summer near Dallas. According to reports, the 53-year-old singer veered off a road and struck several construction zone barricades. The terms of the sentence include a 180-day suspended jail sentence, […]
Responsible driving for some means not having anything to drink before driving. For others, it may mean pacing their drinking so that blood alcohol levels remain well below the legal limit. If a driver is stopped on suspicion of drunk driver, an officer may ask a series of questions about the driver’s destination, drinking consumption […]
Last summer, two vacationing Texas boys were killed by a drunk driver who drove his pickup truck over their tent in a North Dakota campground. Recently, the surviving parents spoke out, urging the state’s lawmakers to pass tougher laws against driving while intoxicated. The parents’ visit coincided with the state’s Law Enforcement Day, a day […]
Texas enforcement efforts against DWI are more aggressive than ever. For example, over the New Year’s Eve weekend, Houston-area authorities made 27 DWI arrests. Their efforts included at least three search warrants issued for blood, 10 breath tests ranging from 0.094 to 0.253, one mandatory sample, six refusals, and 10 voluntary blood samples. The search […]
A Houston-area sheriff’s office joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in a Christmas weekend crackdown on drunken drivers. The authorities targeted high-risk locations at times when alcohol-related crashes are most frequent. The enforcement effort resulted in 21 people receiving DWI charges during the Christmas holiday weekend, ranging in age between mid-twenties and mid-fifties. Of […]
A non-profit organization is petitioning Texas lawmakers to pass a law requiring those convicted of a first-offense DWI to get an ignition interlock. If passed, the offenders would never be able to drive under the influence again: The dashboard-mounted device prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects any alcohol on a driver’s breath. The […]