Drink, Drive, go to jail
Scott Harris, staff writer

 

It is Friday night around 11 P.M. You just got off work, and it has been a very stressful week at school.

All of your friends are at a bar enjoying the nightly drink specials. It is time to take a shower and meet them as fast as possible. Within the next 30 minutes you arrive to find a shot and beer waiting for you. You tilt the glass back and feel the warm liquid fill your body with an instant rush. At this moment, you believe nothing can go wrong. But if you do not have a designated driver you are severely mistaken.

According to Texas Arrest Data of 2003 91,097 adults were arrested for Driving Under the Influence (D.U.I.). Anyone who has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher is considered intoxicated in many states, including Texas. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), the federal government, and other safety organizations are working very hard to encourage states to require a maximum BAC of .08 instead of .10. Statistics have proven that people driving a vehicle with a BAC of .08 or greater increases the chance of an accident dramatically.

In 1997, drunk drivers killed more than 16,000 people in the United States. Almost all drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher showed severe impairment in steering ability, eyesight, decision-making and reaction time. The federal government is now working with MADD and others in order to try to persuade other states to lower the BAC from .10 to .08.

For instance, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) was passed in 1997. This was an incentive for the states to lower legal BAC levels and receive more federal highway funding in return. The state of Texas was rewarded $26 million when the BAC was lowered.
 

“Because of this legislation, hundreds of Texans will probably live to see another day,”said Senator Steve Odgen.

“Stricter laws and tougher enforcement of drunk driving laws will save lives and prevent injuries on our highways,” said Department of Transportation secretary Rodney Slater.

Locally, in Hockley County there is a zero tolerance law. This means if pulled over, you will receive either a ticket or be arrested depending on the crime. In Levelland if you are pulled over and arrested, you will more likely be charged with D.W.I.

Pat Phelan is the district attorney of Hockley County, and he takes drunk driving very seriously.

 

Also, the State Legislature has mandated that a $3,000 fine must be paid in three years in order to reinstate your driver’s license.

In September 2003, court costs increased an extra $100. There will be a minimum of three mandatory educational classes that must be attended and paid for by any D.W.I. offenders. Probation will be a part of sentencing, and that costs a minimum of $50 a month. Community service will be included in the package with a D.W.I. conviction.

“ Don’t drink and drive, because you can’t afford it,” says Hockley County Deputy Clerk Melissa Henry. There are not many drunk drivers on the South Plains College campus. However, in 2002 arrests for liquor on campus reached a high of 45 students, According to Jon Wuerflien, the chief of Police at South Plains College. Wuerflien, has worked at the school for nine years. He previously worked for the Levelland Police Department for 10 years. During his law enforcement career he has arrested several drunk drivers. The one that stands out the most was an elderly gentleman who blew a .38 BAC level. Wuerflien said that is legally considered comatose, and the man still chose to drive a vehicle.

Many of the people who are involved in similar situations are alcoholics who drink when ever awake. Texas does have a ‘strikes policy’. This policy will incarcerate repeat offenders for substantial amounts of time. If you are not an alcoholic, you still might be in danger. If there is any type of tolerance built up to alcohol, you are prone to drink more and believe you are sober.

 

Despite if you feel a buzz or not, BAC does not lie. If your levels are higher than .08, you will be convicted. The best advice from Chief Wuerflien is, “Don’t drink until 21. And if you are 21, and drink, don’t drive at all!” This is coming from a man who knows the business, and Wuerflien knows what he is talking about.
 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 15,935 fatalities where alcohol was a factor in 1998. More than 305,000 people were injured, and more than $45 billion were spent as a result of alcohol-related accidents. From 1987 to 1997, there was a decrease of 32 percent of alcohol-related accidents, mostly due to stricter laws.
 

In 2003, 15,826 Texans between ages 21 and 24 were arrested for D.U. I. in 2003. There were 13,969 females arrested and 77,401 males arrested for D.U.I. In 2003, there were 903 more women arrested than in 2001. Of those, 483 women were in the age group of 21 to 24. The male D.W.I. arrests went down 1,985 arrests from 2001 to 2003. However, 664 more men between the ages 21 and 24 were arrested during that time.
 

Not only are this many men and women getting arrested, but they also have to live with the consequences that are included with a D.U.I. arrest, Many lasting much longer than just that terrible night in jail.
 

Once you have been pulled over and the presence of alcohol has been found, your problems really begin. You will first be asked to step out of the vehicle and complete a few sobriety tests.

 

These tests will allow the police officer to monitor your motor skills and sense of balance.
If intoxication is obvious or revealed through the tests, you will be asked to breathe into a Breathalyzer. This will read your BAC on the scene. If you refuse (which you can) your licensee automatically will be suspended for six months. Driving a vehicle is a privilege, and when you sign your signature to the bottom of your driver’s liscense, you are agreeing to certain responsibilities. One of these is to take any driving test, such as sobriety or Breathalyzer, at any time when asked.
 

When you are taken to jail and charged with a D.W.I., your car is impounded at your expense.

 

When you reach jail, there will be an eight to 12 hour wait. Then, a bond will be set which can be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars in order to get out of jail. This must be paid up front.
 

The next day, you will look for legal representation, because you are now a criminal who has been charged with a crime. This will cost from $750 to $2,000. The next step is to ask off work and school in order to meet with your lawyer and get the actual court date set. You will not have a driver’s license, so buses, bicycles, and walking will be your transportation for all of this.
 

If you are convicted on your court date the punishment can vary. First time offenders could face fines up to $2,500, be incarcerated up to a year and a their license’s revoked for a year. The judge decides whether you must serve three months in jail, pay $1,250, and spend two years under adult supervision.
 

You may think, from the moment you saw the flashing lights, what a nightmare this ordeal has been. Remember, this will follow you the rest of your life. On every application, bank form, and other inquiries about you, this will come up. You would be surprised at the number of forms you fill out that ask about D.W.I. arrests.
 

Being arrested for a D.W.I. is an expensive way to learn a lesson! Unfortunately, if you drink and drive, a D.W.I. arrest is not the worse thing that can happen. You could wake up in the hospital, send someone else to the hospital, not wake up at all, or worst of all, you could kill someone.
 

When people drink and drive, people die, get hurt and go to jail. The statistics prove it!