With each passing year, it becomes more and more likely that Houston-area drunk drivers will be apprehended by police. In fact, the total number of Harris County drunk driving arrests has risen steadily every year for the past five years.
Last year, the Harris County Sherriff's Office nabbed 2,211 drunk drivers. Between January and June 2012, they caught 1,367, putting the department on track to arrest an estimated 2,734 drunk drivers this year.
This crackdown hasn't been accidental. The HSCO has been intentional in its effort to identify and arrest suspected drunk drivers. They say that the fear of arrest is one of the most powerful deterrents against drunk driving, and they hope that a strong police presence will dissuade Texans from getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.
The HSCO has also been fond of using "No Refusal" crackdowns during holiday weekends and other periods where there are higher rates of drunk driving. Under Texas' "No Refusal" law, drunk driving suspects can have their blood drawn without consent, so long as police are able to secure a judicial warrant.
Texas Drunk Driving Charges
Drunk driving charges don't discriminate. Nearly anyone can get arrested for DWI if they get behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much alcohol. In many cases, all it takes is one too many beers at happy hour or an extra glass of wine with dinner to push someone over the legal limit.
Texas' drunk driving laws are very strict and a conviction can have life-long consequences. As such, anybody who is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence needs to take their criminal defense strategy seriously.
Source: ABC 13, "DWI fatalities down, arrests up in Harris County," July 29, 2012.
For more information about defending Texas DWI charges, please visit our Houston DWI page.
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