"No Refusal" Weekends Highlight the Dangers of Driving Drunk
During "no refusal weekends," Texas motorists suspected of driving drunk may be compelled to give a blood sample.

October 16, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- In order to highlight the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol, as well as help catch those who break the DWI laws, cities around Texas recently implemented "no refusal weekends" -- meaning that motorists who were suspected of driving drunk would be forced to take a blood test if they refused to take a breathalyzer.

Texas has had these blood draw weekends -- which generally are scheduled around major holidays--since 2008. Law enforcement officials say these weekends have been so successful in catching drunk drivers that the state plans to implement "no refusal weekends" on a monthly basis.

"We're hoping this will keep drunken drivers off the road and protect the motoring public," Sheriff Gary Painter told the Midland Reporter-Telegram. "This will save lives and keep people from having alcohol-related accidents."

Based on the statistics for alcohol-related accidents around Texas, this concern is justified. In 2010 alone, there were over 25,000 car accidents related to alcohol. These crashes resulted in over 1,000 fatalities and 16,877 non-fatal injuries.

Staying Safe on Texas Roads

Texas leads the country in alcohol-related accidents, with someone in the state being hurt or killed every 20 minutes. In order to stay safe on the state's roads, the Texas Department of Transportation suggests that people who have been drinking designate a driver, take a cab or stay at someone else's home while they sober up.

For those who do not take these recommendations and drive drunk anyway, they will face stiff penalties. For example:
- those who are caught with an open alcohol container in a vehicle may be fined up to $500
- anyone who is driving with a child in the car while intoxicated may face child endangerment charges, which could result in up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000
- those with multiple DWI convictions may face up to $10,000 in fines and 10 years in prison, depending on the circumstances

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