Last year traffic officials installed DWI signs on the north side of town, along FM 1960. A new round of DWI signs were recently installed on US 59-Southwest Freeway near its intersection with West Loop. The Houston DWI signs read ‘Caution next seven miles. Since 2003, 23 people killed in alcohol related crashes’. It also implores viewers to report suspected drunk driving.
The stretch of US 59 between the West Loop and the Beltway features many bars and restaurants, and the traffic can be heavy well into the late night hours. Another influencing factor in the number of drunk driving accidents is the proliferation of after-hours bars in the area.
Of the 226 traffic deaths in Houston last year, 62% involved drunk driving. The number of alcohol related deaths is so great it has earned Houston-Harris County the title of DWI capital of the US.
May 26, 2012
