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Drivers who choose to drink and drive over the holidays should be prepared to roll up their sleeve sand donate some blood.
Since May 2008, the Burleson Police Department has had a no refusal policy on drivers who are suspected of drinking and driving.
If a Burleson officer believes a driver is intoxicated and that driver refuses to submit to a breath test, the officer will request a search warrant for a sample of the driver’s blood.
The blood is drawn at a local hospital.
Thus far in 2009, the Burleson Police Department has handled 68 DWI arrests and of those, 43 people refused the breath test.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Holiday 2009 Don’t Drink and Drive public education campaign, the daily death toll from drunk driving crashes during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period is significantly higher than during the rest of the year.
In Texas during December 2008, more than 39,000 traffic crashes injured 20,000 people and killed 313 more.
Alcohol was involved in 85 of those fatalities.
Throughout 2008, alcohol was a factor in 28 percent of the fatal crashes in Texas.
The state’s “Save A Life” campaign slogan is “Don’t drive if you’re tipsy, buzzed or Blitzen.”
Burleson Police Chief Tom Cowan said he and his staff want everyone to enjoy the holiday season, safely.
“We encourage anyone who will be drinking to remember not to drink and drive. Now is the time to consider a designated driver, a taxi ride, or simply staying where you are,” Cowan said. “An impaired driver is a dangerous driver and we will be out in force to remove dangerous drivers from our streets.”
In Texas, the legal limit for intoxication is .08 blood or breath alcohol concentration.
The first DWI conviction can cost a driver up to $2,000 in fines, three to 180 days in jail, loss of driver’s license for up to a year, and a $1,000 surcharge for three years to retain a driver’s license.
With a second conviction, the fines increase to up to $4,000, jail time becomes five days to one year in jail, loss of the driver’s license goes up to two years, and the surcharge increases to $1,500.
The third conviction can bring a fine of up to $10,000, two years to 10 years in prison upon conviction, 10 to 60 days in jail if the driver receives probation, loss of the driver’s license for up to two years, and a $2,000 surcharge to retain the driver’s license.
A driver convicted of DWI with a passenger who was younger than 15 years old in the vehicle is automatically charged with a state jail felony.
The fine is up to $10,000, two years in state jail, and loss of a driver’s license for two years.
It is illegal for anyone under 21 years of age to purchase, attempt to purchase, possess or consume alcohol.
There is no BAC level for drivers who are under 21 years old.
If any amount of alcohol is detected in a minor who is convicted of driving under the influence, the cost is up to $500 in fines, suspension of the driver’s license for 60 days, community service hours ranging from 20-40 hours, and mandatory alcohol awareness classes.
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