DWI arrests made during the 18 days of increased enforcement numbered 16. Garland police officers stepped up its Driving While Intoxicated patrols, from March 4 through March 21 in an effort to keep Garland citizens and visitors safe during the spring break holiday.
The additional enforcement was paid for by a state funded grant from TxDot known as the Impaired Driving Mobilization Grant.
The Garland Police Department would like to thank TxDot for its assistance in allowing officers to keep the city streets safe during spring break.
Convicted first-time DWI offenders can pay a fine of up to $2,000, lose their driver’s license for up to a year and serve 180 days in jail. Safety officials say other costs associated with an impaired driving arrest and conviction can add up to more than $17,000 for bail, legal fees, court appearances, court-ordered classes, vehicle insurance increases and other expenses.
Someone is hurt or killed in an alcohol-related crash on Texas Highways about every 20 minutes.
How Much Is Too Much? – according to TxDOT
Impairment begins with the first drink. Your gender, body weight, the number of drinks you’ve consumed and the amount of food you’ve eaten affect your body’s ability to handle alcohol. Two or three beers in an hour can make some people legally intoxicated. Women, younger people and smaller people generally become impaired with less alcohol.
About the Impaired Driving Mobilization Grant: IDM provides grant money for local law enforcement agencies to conduct driving while intoxicated enforcement waves and increase DWI arrests as part of the statewide “Drink. Drive. Go to Jail.” program held in conjunction with the national IDM campaign. TRF-TS identifies areas of the state with the highest percentages of alcohol related crashes and then invites law enforcement agencies in these areas to participate in the IDM. These projects conduct quarterly enforcement mobilizations during the following holiday periods:
- Christmas/New Years
- Spring Break
- Independence Day
- Labor Day (in conjunction with the National Impaired Driving Crackdown).