Did you know?
Every year in the United States:
1.5 million people are arrested for drunk driving.
Over 10,000 people are killed in drunk driving accidents.
Talk to Sugar Land DWI Lawyer David Hunter Now!
DWI in Texas
The state of Texas is no stranger to DWIs. In fact, in 2013, it led the country in number of drunk driving deaths: 1,337. This staggering amount of violence could have been prevented and lives could have been saved. In that same year, Texas saw 99,915 DWI arrests, which led to 71,030 convictions.
There were 90,066 arrests for DWI in Texas in 2015, so DWIs are not going away altogether anytime soon.
The cities with the highest number of drunk driving crashes are as follows:
- San Antonio
- Houston
- Austin
- Dallas
- El Paso
Texas has not authorized police officers to conduct roadblocks, so such sobriety checkpoints are not considered constitutional.
When It Happens
- Nighttime (6 pm – 4 am)
- Weekends (Saturday and Sunday)
DWI crashes tend to occur most often between the hours of 6 pm and 4 am, making late night drives more dangerous than other times of day.
The most common days for DWI crashes to occur are Saturday and Sunday.
So if you’re out driving late at night on a weekend, please be careful!
How It Happens
Most people charged with DWI tend to be 18-24 years old, and have been drinking beer only, not liquor. Take a look at the statistics below:
DWI in Decline
Thankfully, Texas saw a decrease in DWI crash deaths in 2015. Compared to 2014, Texas saw 123 fewer deaths, which is definitely something to celebrate.
Since September 2005, judges in Texas have been required to order ignition interlocks for all repeat offenders or first-time offenders with a BAC of 0.15 or greater as a condition of probation. On June 19, 2015, Texas became the 25th state to pass an all-offender ignition interlock law. It requires all people caught driving while intoxicated (DWI) to have an ignition interlock installed on their vehicles in order to have their driving privileges restored following an arrest. Since then, Texas drunk driving deaths have decreased by 8.5%. As of August 2015, 43,789 interlocks have been installed in Texas. In the 10-year period between Dec. 1, 2006 and Dec. 1, 2016, these locks were responsible for preventing 244,991 drunk-driving ignition starts.
You Can Avoid Prosecution for DWI in Texas with DIVERT
DIVERT is a pre-trial diversion program for people looking for alternatives to prosecution. In order to qualify, you must be a first-time offender. Participants receive:
- Personal/group counseling assistance
- Drug/Alcohol rehabilitation programs
- Other community agency assistance
These programs usually last for 1 year and have strict policies surrounding them. Ask your DWI lawyer about the DIVERT program to see if you qualify.
DWI Statistics from Sugar Land DWI Lawyer David Hunter | David Hunter Law Firm – Sugar Land, TX
