Tyler Dunman with the Montgomery County D.A.'s Office said authorities arrested close to 90 more people for DWI during the 2017 holiday enforcement effort than they did during the same period in 2016. Those arrests were made through joint efforts involving multiple agencies.
"We're able to systematically hit certain areas within the county where we see DWI continuing to be a problem," explained Dunman.
But why is DWI such an issue in Montgomery County in the first place? Dunman said for one, options are sometimes limited for a sober ride home.
"Montgomery County does not have a very structured, consistent taxi system or bus system," added Dunman.
Dunman said they’re hoping to partner with Uber to help people get home if they’ve been drinking. But here in Houston there were also a lot of DWI arrests despite having more transportation options. Sergeant Don Egdorf with HPD's DWI Task Force said they arrested 75 more people in December 2017 than they did the year before.
"The reality is there are people who are going to drive no matter what the message is, no matter what they're being told, no matter what free options that they end up having," said Egdorf.
Authorities are now planning to ramp up enforcement for two other big activities, Rodeo Houston and Spring Break.
