Driving drunk in Texas? You might want to reconsider!
by Penny M. Hagerman
36 people die in the U.S. and 700 more are injured every day in car accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers. And, with a history of traffic fatalities second only to California, Texas has more alcohol-related accidents on the road than any other state in the union.
Some say it's because the Lone Star State is so large, requiring drivers to travel longer distances to get where they're going—drunk or not. Others say it's because Texas contains a large number of "dry" counties, a fact shown to increase the number of alcohol-related auto accidents and fatalities.
Whatever your opinion, penalties may soon stiffen for those choosing to drink and drive repeatedly. Texas is out to slash the number of injuries and deaths occurring from driving while intoxicated (DWI), and new legislation may just help them do it.
Common Offenders
Who is most likely to drive drunk—and why? Statistics show drunken drivers are predominately male, single, and between 18 and 20 years old; and Texans are no exception.
For those who choose to drink and drive, whether or not they fall in this category, the consequences are the same:
- license suspension or revocation
- vehicle forfeiture
- devices like ignition interlocks installed in cars, which analyze drivers' breath and only permit them to drive if they haven't been drinking
- time in jail
The deadly results of drunken driving
All 50 states and the District of Columbia define .08 percent as the level at which blood alcohol concentration (BAC) becomes too high to legally drive.
Many people think they can down a few drinks, then get behind the wheel and drive home safely. What they don't realize is that alcohol impairs driving-related skills such as vision, reaction time and judgment and decreases driving performance.
That means those who've imbibed too much can't react in time to prevent accidents, leaving nearly 14,000 people dead each year and more than one million drivers in jail for driving under the influence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Auto insurance rates are also affected, rising the most in areas of heavy traffic, congestion and alcohol-related incidents.
Over the past 20 years the incidence of alcohol-related crashes has decreased considerably; but progress has stalled during the past few years—and the Lone Star State is out to correct its course.
New requirements for Texas: blow and go
Currently, Texas law only requires that drivers submit to breathalyzers or blood tests without a court order if they're involved in accidents that result in death or serious injury. However, with new proposals, that may soon change.
Tests may become compulsory for drivers who make a habit of drinking and driving, and:
- cause an accident that leads to hospitalization
- drive drunk with a child in the car
- have a prior intoxication felony or two DWI convictions
Also under discussion are sobriety checkpoints set up in locations where drunk driving regularly occurs. Police would publicize the stops in local papers or on the Internet, then halt drivers randomly in an effort to deter them from driving under the influence.
Sobering up
For states like Texas with a high percentage of alcohol-related automobile deaths and injuries, tightening the penalties for drunken driving seems the way to go. And as laws change to protect the innocent, we have a feeling Texas will lead the way toward a sober roadway.
