Citing public reaction to drunk driving in Texas and a recent headline grabbing accident, advocates for stronger DWI penalties express hope for the coming state legislative session. The goal is to advance two bills that stalled in previous sessions; making ignition interlock devices mandatory for everyone convicted of driving while intoxicated in Texas and legalizing sobriety checkpoints.
A driving culture coupled with one of the largest state populations has left Texas with the highest number of alcohol related fatalities in the nation. Last month a repeat DWI offender killed a newlywed couple in Dallas, focusing attention on the rising number of incidents of drunk driving among Hispanics.
A representative from the American Beverage Institute, an association that represents restaurants and promotes responsible social drinking, said that the trend in legislation is to go after
