Attending holiday parties is often the highlight of the year. Whether you are celebrating with coworkers, seeing distant family members, or enjoying yourself at home, alcoholic beverages are bound to be present and potentially consumed in excess. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying the holiday season, some drivers may place others at risk by drinking before getting behind the wheel. Holiday gatherings look a bit different this year; some have opted to cancel their gatherings, others have reduced the number of people invited to the party, while many have decided against joining the annual party altogether. Because large gatherings have been strongly cautioned or completely off-limits for almost a year now, the opportunity to have some fun may lead to overindulgence and poor decisions. The Texas Department of Safety (DPS) recognizes the annual holiday threat of speeding and intoxicated drivers, especially during these unprecedented times, and is honing its focus on keeping roads safe. 

Unfortunate Holiday Statistics

Holidays have consistently been a high time for severe accidents. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were a total of 24 fatalities within a 30-hour period surrounding New Year’s in 2019—not counting the additional accidents that lead to injuries rather than death. Surprisingly, Memorial Day and Fourth of July racked up the most fatalities when compared to other holidays throughout 2019. This year, law enforcement is on high alert as the pandemic reduced the number of parties throughout the year, leading to even more anticipation—and likely celebrating—in the upcoming winter holidays. According to news reports from December 22, Austin surpassed the total number of people killed on area roadways in 2019, with 89 fatalities before the Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations this year. 

Anyone who has a driver’s license understands how easy it is to break a traffic law. Speeding can quickly become second nature, and running a red light may not seem as serious when you are in a rush. The worst thing about it? The more you break these seemingly minor traffic laws without getting caught, the more likely you are to continue doing it. 

Texas is ranked as one of the top five states for issuing traffic tickets and the state has seen its fair share of violations. According to Safe2Drive, the fastest speeding ticket in the world was issued in Texas in 2003, with a recorded speed of 242 mph. Speeding is one of the most common violations that occur, but it is considered minor in the state of Texas. Depending on the risk that the violation poses on the driver themselves and the other drivers on the road, particular traffic offenses can be considered major and come with severe criminal penalties.

Getting pulled over, arrested, and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) may leave you assuming that your charges will lead to a conviction. You likely blew into the breathalyzer, received above a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading, and believe that the prosecutor has an air-tight case against you. While this reading may be enough for some cases, working with a reputable DWI defense attorney can significantly alter the results of your case. Some drivers may presume that this 0.08 BAC means they are automatically guilty and falsely believe that hiring an experienced defense attorney is not worth their time. Regardless of the evidence against you, your criminal defense lawyer’s experience with cases like yours can change your future for the better.

Defense Strategies

What criminal defense attorneys bring to the table is well-thought-out, past-proven defense strategies. These strategies can change depending on the criminal charges and evidence involved in your case. The following are three strategies that a reputable attorney will likely utilize for DWI cases: