Lawmakers Look for Ways to Prevent DWI
Texas leads the nation in many things — including drunken-driving fatalities.
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice met today to talk about ways to stop Texans from getting behind the wheel after imbibing. Judges, police and even a third-time DWI offender told lawmakers some Texas drunken driving laws could use some stiffening, while other measures take punishment too far.
Police told the committee that some hospitals are hampering their efforts to curb drunken driving with blood tests. In 2008, law enforcement in counties across Texas began implementing "no refusal" weekends. In a twist of constitutional logic, individuals suspected of DWI may ...
Comments (2)
eamartinez
We've designed a transportation system that FORCES people to drive -- drunk or otherwise. Ain't no jail time, fines or blood tests goin' to fix that.
Neil Robertson
Here is the solution to DWI defendants choosing county jail time over 2-year county-supervised probation upon conviction: make 1st offense DWI convictions a felony with a mandatory state jail time of at least one year in a TX DOC facility. Mix the DWI convicts with the general population of violent offender’s side-by-side and serving as cell mates. To free-up TX DOC bed space, de-criminalize possession of marijuana. That severe 1st offense penalty for DWI would probably serve as a deterrent to drinking and driving - at least it would greatly reduce 2nd offenses after that hell on earth experience for a 1st offense DWI. 2nd offense DWI, felony with 10-20 year mandatory; 3rd offense DWI – life sentence.