Sobriety Checkpoints May Come to Texas
By: Jade Cunningham
Updated: January 9, 2013
When it comes to national drinking and driving deaths, the Lonestar State is high up on the list. And as the 2013 Legislative Session gets underway in Texas, state lawmakers are debating the issue of sobriety checkpoints.
"A lot of people think that just because they're buzzed, they're not drunk," said Texarkana, Texas police officer Ed Emilia. "Yes you are."
Even though Texarkana, Texas is a dry county, police say drinking and driving is still a big issue.
"Just because the county's dry, doesn't mean they can't go three miles down the road and get their alcohol and drink it on the way back."
In 2011 Bowie County saw a total of 91 DUI crashes and injuries. That's a number Emilia would like to see go down.
"If you just have one person out there driving that's intoxicated, that's a big issue. So our goal is nobody should be out there driving intoxicated."
Currently across the nation, there are 38 states that use sobriety checkpoints. While Texas isn't one of them, across the state line in Arkansas they're done on a regular basis.
Texarkana, Arkansas police officer Kristi Mitchell says it's because of their checkpoints, that they've been able to keep roads a bit safer.
"DWI checkpoints are a great way to keep drunk drivers off the roadway," Mitchell says. "It's also been very successful for our agency. In December of 2012 we had a total of 43 DWI arrests, that's a very large amount."
No matter what's decided on for the issue, the main thing police say is to be smart and never get behind the wheel after drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Sobriety checkpoints aren't the only thing being talked about during the Legislative Session. Another topic of discussion is making ignition interlocks mandatory for first time DWI offenders.
"A lot of people think that just because they're buzzed, they're not drunk," said Texarkana, Texas police officer Ed Emilia. "Yes you are."
Even though Texarkana, Texas is a dry county, police say drinking and driving is still a big issue.
"Just because the county's dry, doesn't mean they can't go three miles down the road and get their alcohol and drink it on the way back."
In 2011 Bowie County saw a total of 91 DUI crashes and injuries. That's a number Emilia would like to see go down.
"If you just have one person out there driving that's intoxicated, that's a big issue. So our goal is nobody should be out there driving intoxicated."
Currently across the nation, there are 38 states that use sobriety checkpoints. While Texas isn't one of them, across the state line in Arkansas they're done on a regular basis.
Texarkana, Arkansas police officer Kristi Mitchell says it's because of their checkpoints, that they've been able to keep roads a bit safer.
"DWI checkpoints are a great way to keep drunk drivers off the roadway," Mitchell says. "It's also been very successful for our agency. In December of 2012 we had a total of 43 DWI arrests, that's a very large amount."
No matter what's decided on for the issue, the main thing police say is to be smart and never get behind the wheel after drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Sobriety checkpoints aren't the only thing being talked about during the Legislative Session. Another topic of discussion is making ignition interlocks mandatory for first time DWI offenders.
