According to the Texas Department of Transportation, March had the highest number of drunk driving crashes in Texas last year — more than any other month.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — According to The Department of Public Safety, during the Spring Break Enforcement Period in the Corpus District March 8th-17th there were dozens of arrests.
“In the state of Texas, we lead the nation in fatal crashes unfortunately. DWI is one of the biggest reasons we see fatal crashes. Our fatal crashes could drop significantly if people could make that plan if they are going to consume alcohol”, said Sgt. Rob Mallory.
According to DPS, here in the Coastal bend, troopers responded to 393 crashes during the enforcement period. Of those crashes, 25 involved alcohol and three involved drugs.
There were also seven fatal crashes, including three that involved alcohol.
During the spring break enforcement period in Nueces County, San Patricio County and Port Aransas, troopers made 1,603 contacts with drivers, resulting in 1,465 citations and 1,051 warnings.
Alcohol-related enforcement included 20 driving while intoxicated arrests. Among those cases, one involved a child passenger, two involved an open container, two were second-offense DWIs and three involved a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher.
Troopers also reported 33 cases of driving under the influence involving drivers under 21, meaning the drivers had detectable alcohol in their system.
Additional violations included 221 minor-in-possession citations and 63 open container violations.
Officials say the numbers highlight the importance of planning ahead and choosing a sober ride during spring break celebrations.
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