HOUSTON – With Memorial Day Weekend looming around the corner, so does the threat of drunk driving, in what law enforcement officials describe as the “100 Deadliest Days.”
For that reason, Harris County leaders are trying a more stern approach and refusing to pull punches as they crack down on potential drunk drivers.
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During a press conference Thursday at 10 a.m. at Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, DA Sean Teare, the Houston Police Department, Texas DPS, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) outlined plans for increased patrols, no-refusal blood draws, and a rideshare discount program to help keep impaired drivers off the roads.
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The discount was arguably the main takeaway from Sheriff Gonzalez, who noted a partnership with Lyft as another alternative to drunk driving.
Starting this Friday at 7 p.m. through Monday, people can get $15 off their Lyft rides by using the promo code: “HCSO Memorial Day.”
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While the sheriff expressed gratitude for the partnership, he wanted to make it clear that residents needed to have a plan in place before the celebrations. And if they didn’t, there still shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to get behind the wheel.
“We know you have options; use them,” Sheriff Gonzalez said. “Be the reason someone makes it home, if you drink, do not drive; and it’s important to plan ahead...there’s no excuse for it.”
DA Teare, meanwhile, had a message for those who may ignore the pleas and take the risk anyway.
“This weekend (and the rest of the 100 days), we are going to have extra prosecutors on call 24/7 to help write the search warrants,” he said sternly. “We are a no-refusal county, and will commit to staying that way so that every one of these officers -- when they pull you over, they will be able to get the search warrant, take your blood so that we can prosecute you and they get back out on the street and catch the next one of you who goes about committing this incredibly selfish crime.”
The initiative comes as Harris County continues to report some of the highest rates of DWI-related deaths in the country.
“We want everyone to have a good time; we want everyone to enjoy themselves,” Sheriff Gonzalez concluded. “But we’re not going to let up...this is something very serious...this is a very selfish act.”
“Everyone that knows me knows that this is my passion,” Teare concluded. ”You will not get compassion; you won’t get a second chance if you commit this crime because I have been on too many scenes where people lose their lives because of this."