In an initiative poised to run from Thursday through New Year's Day, the Houston Police Department (HPD), in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), announced plans for extra DWI enforcement. Houston passengers died in more than 3,000 accidents caused by drivers who were drunk or drugged between 2001 and 2016, according to a Houston Chronicle investigation.
In Texas, sobering statistics shadow the season's festivities; a person dies every 7 hours and 2 minutes in a DUI or alcohol-related traffic crash, as reported by TxDOT. First-time penalties for those convicted of a DWI can scale up to a $2,000 fine, jail time, and a driver's license suspension for up to a year, HPD highlighted through social media means.
In December 2006, Sergeant David Thomas of HPD's Traffic Division, in a statement obtained by the city of Houston's official police news release, emphasized that "Drink, Drive, Go To Jail" is not just a catchphrase but a stern holiday warning. With nearly 13,000 people perishing in 2005 because of impaired driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) records indicate that close to half of Texas' crash fatalities are alcohol-related.
"Driving a passenger vehicle or riding a motorcycle impaired by alcohol or drugs is not worth the risk. You are putting your own life and the lives of others on the line. And, you are inviting arrest and a criminal record," Sergeant Thomas told drivers.
