Texas Troopers Target Thanksgiving Drunk Drivers

by John Michaelson/TNS

HOUSTON, Texas – The Texas Highway Patrol will be out in full force for the Thanksgiving weekend, promoting safety and targeting dangerous drivers as the holiday travel season gets under way. One of their main focuses will be on drunk drivers, and John McNamee, executive director with Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Texas, says that’s why those who plan to imbibe need to plan ahead.

“Have a designated non-drinking driver,” says McNamee. “People don’t think they’ll ever be a victim of drunk driving, but the reality is one-in-three people will be impacted by a drunk-driving crash in their lifetime.”

In Texas last year, there were nearly 1,100 alcohol-related traffic fatalities, the highest figure among the 50 states.

Despite the large number, drunk-driving deaths in Texas have been on a slow downward trend for several decades. McNamee says one way to reduce them even further would be to require an ignition interlock for all motorists convicted of drunk driving.

“In Texas they have it for either repeat drunk drivers or a drunk driver convicted over .15 BAC, but ignition interlocks for all offenders would go a long ways,” he says.

It’s expected Texas State Patrol will arrest around 400 drunk drivers over the Thanksgiving weekend with a total for the year of more than 80,000 arrests for driving under the influence.