The legal limit for intoxication in the state of Texas is 0.08 blood alcohol concentration. Nevertheless, you can be pulled over and ticketed for drunk driving regardless of the blood alcohol concentration if it affects your driving.
At the moment, Texas has the highest number of alcohol-related crash deaths in the country. In 2007 Texas saw 1,292 people die in road accidents that occurred due to driving under the influence and such high numbers is a rule rather than an exception. Texas held the first spot in the number of alcohol-related deaths in the country for the last 12 years, something that should definitely get one thinking of the underlying reasons.
At the moment, Texas laws forbid roadblocks that are designed to distinguish drunken drivers. The use of in-car breathalyzer and ignition interlock devices is also limited only to repeat offenders.
"To improve, Texas must pass legislation allowing for sobriety checkpoints and mandating ignition interlocks for all convicted drunken drivers -- something it failed to do in 2007," according to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving site.
Some argue that roadblocks is not the right solution and they will not deter the frequent abusers. "Because they are highly visible by design and publicized in advance, roadblocks are all too easily avoided by the chronic alcohol abusers who comprise the core of today's drunken driving problem," said ABI Managing Director Sarah Longwell. "That leaves adults who enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner, a beer at a ballgame or a champagne toast at a wedding to be harassed at checkpoints."
Clearly, the situation calls for certain legislative changes that would target Texas drivers license holders and lower the incidence of traffic accidents that involve drunk drivers.
