Texas DWI Laws and Law Enforcement in Texas

Saturday, 12 May 2007

It is surprising but true that nearly 1.5 million Driving While Intoxicated arrests are made each year in Texas. This is one of the most frequently committed crimes in Texas. The conviction of DWI offense can make a person unable to drive any vehicle in the future. So it is important to remember that consequences of DWI offense can be much more depressing and disturbing than they usually perceived by most people. Just to save other people’s life and to deter drunk drivers from driving while intoxicated the government has taken much serious initiatives.

In the year 1999, Texas made some changes in their existing DWI program. The new program put special emphasis upon the development of a full-time team consisting of proficient specialists dealing with DWI cases. These DWI officers were appointed to patrol the streets in two different teams. Well, the main motive of this team to look for drivers under the influence of alcohol. These teams also work towards assisting general patrol officers in processing DWI offenders. This provided a great relief to the burden on these officers and they were able to return to their patrol duties.

The Austin’s program also has a term of officers who are trained in DWI enforcement. Actually the traffic Administration Section directs this team and the team members are required to report to it. There are eight patrol officers in the enforcement team. Each officer assigned to the unit is responsible to obtain adequate training in administering the standardized field sobriety tests. These officers can also become certified Intoxilyzer operators. Some of them may even require completing a drug recognition course.

We all know that DWI is a serious offense in Texas with heavy punishments and fines. Drivers can be intercepted by police officers and interrogated for driving under the influence of alcohol. Texas has a zero tolerance DWI law. It is illegal to drive with a specific amount of alcohol in blood for those who are under 21. The legal limit of alcohol influence in blood is 0.08 in Texas. It is also referred to as Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

According to Texas DWI law, the first offence can result in a fine up to a $2,000, seventy-two hours in jail and an automatic driver’s license suspension for one year. In case of a second offense the convict must pay a fine up to a $4,000, one-year term in jail and an automatic driver’s license suspension for one year. If someone is caught under third offense, he or she requires paying a fine up to $10,000, two to ten years in penitentiary and an automatic driver’s license suspension for up to two years.

The state government and its all concerned departments are fully dedicated and seem to be determined to discourage drunk drivers on the roads. The arrest rate for DWI offenders is maintained at a higher level in recent times, and future seems to be really tough for culprits. The credit goes to the strict rules of DWI team and the rules and regulations imposed by Texas jurisdiction for driving while intoxicated.

Therefore, it becomes a moral duty of every one of us to stick to the guidelines and obey the rules made by the state government to reduce mishapennings, accidents and other related crimes. In case, a law enforcement officer asks a person to take a breath or blood test, he or she must adhere to the instructions. Refusal may result in a 180-day driver’s license suspension. The Texas DWI laws have been constructed for our safety on the road. Therefore one must adhere to these laws to maintain personal safety on the road.

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