DPS officials say more than 400 DWI arrests were made statewide when we rang in 2017, in addition to the 72,000 citations issued for safety violations.
The game plan for troopers this year is to see those numbers go way down by encouraging more people to make arrangements to get home safely during their New Year’s Eve festivities as well as increasing their enforcement efforts out on the roads during the holiday weekend.
While DPS troopers are out, they will be on the lookout for impaired drivers, reckless behavior or safety violations of any kind.
DPS Sergeant John Gonzalez shared that they have also seen a recent increased use of illegal narcotics mixed with alcohol consumption, making for a dangerous combination. While ringing in the new year is a time of celebration, it’s also important to make safety a priority.
“To go knock at three o’ clock in the morning to a loved one and tell them that ‘your loved one is not coming home anymore’ because of choices and decision someone made, that’s hard,” said Sgt. Gonzalez. “As a parent and go tell you, tell your parents you’re not coming home, because someone made those choices, and you have to live with that for the rest of your life, and now every year for the rest of your life when that holiday rolls around, that reminds you of what took place and how quick life can be taken away in just a second.”
Gonzalez also advises that if you are hosting New Year’s Eve festivities, to make sure your guests get home safely by taking their keys as they come in, and checking on them before they leave to make sure they are good to drive themselves. If that is not the case, help them find a ride or a place to stay.
“Which would you rather have? Someone who was injured or killed as a result of letting them drink and drive? Or having a nice festivity that ends positive,” said Gonzalez.