HOUSTON – The Houston-Galveston Area Council’s (H-GAC) Regional DWI Task Force will be operating from Aug. 18 through the Labor Day weekend to reduce driving while intoxicated (DWI) incidents.
The task force consists of 12 law enforcement agencies throughout the Houston-Galveston region and is in its fifth year of operation to reduce DWI incidents. Funded through a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), this group arrested more than 1,000 offenders since 2014. According to TxDOT data, approximately 1,270 people died regionally in alcohol-related crashes over the last five years with more than 6,600 people that suffered serious injuries.
Convicted first-time DWI offenders can pay a fine up to $2,000, serve six months in jail, lose their driver’s license for up to a year, and pay an additional $3,000 to retain their license once they get it back. Safety officials say other costs associated with an impaired driving arrests and conviction can add up to more than $17,000 for bail, legal fees, court appearances, court-ordered classes, vehicle insurance increases, and other expenses.
ABOUT H-GAC
H-GAC is a voluntary association of local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning Region—an area of 12,500 square miles and more than six million people. H-GAC is designated by the State of Texas as the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization for transportation planning in Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller Counties.