This September, MADD published a new report on public perception of cannabis-impaired driving. To create the report, MADD surveyed more than 1,000 people from across the U.S. on their understanding of how cannabis impacts driving. MADD found that people generally view cannabis-impaired driving as less concerning than alcohol-impaired driving, but 8 in 10 people want more information on how cannabis affects driving. The report also found that people in Colorado, where recreational and medical marijuana use has been allowed under state law for many years, were more likely to be well-informed on the risks of driving after consuming cannabis. You can read the full report here.
State Officials Teaming Up to Tackle Impaired Driving in Oklahoma, Texas Panhandles
The Texas Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office have teamed up to address impaired driving along the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Read this article for more information!
TJCTC’s DWI Bond Condition Program
TJCTC’s DWI Bond Condition Program is part of a statewide effort to reduce the incidence of DWI offenses in Texas counties by adopting a comprehensive plan for setting, monitoring, and enforcing bond conditions in DWI cases. The program is free for counties and promotes the use of bond conditions (such as ignition interlock devices) that reduce the incidence of DWI recidivism, increases consistency in setting bond conditions by a magistrate and a trial court, and ensures that bond conditions required by law are properly set, monitored, and enforced.
The program web page includes additional details, including a video about the program and a map that shows all of the counties that are currently expressing interest or participating in the Program. The web page also provides information on how to contacts us if you would like more information or are interested in signing up.
Visit the program web page today!
NHTSA Kicks Off Labor Day Impaired Driving High-Visibility Enforcement Campaign
At a virtual event on August 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) kicked off its Labor Day impaired driving high-visibility enforcement campaign, reminding Americans not to drive impaired.
See NHTSA’s press release for more information about the campaign.
The Faces of Drunk Driving
The Faces of Drunk Driving is part of a Texas Department of Transportation public education campaign that highlights “the extensive human toll that drinking and driving can have and provides personal accounts from victims, families and others whose lives have been shattered.”
To visit the Faces of Drunk Driving website, click here.
Impacts of the Pandemic on Impaired Driving
Click on the links below to read some interesting news articles about how the COVID-19 pandemic has (or has not) impacted the number of DWI arrests in various parts of the state.
Fewer DWI’s in El Paso During COVID-19 Pandemic
DWI Arrests During Pandemic Down 41%, Recent Data Shows
DWI Numbers Rising Quickly as Houston Reopens
DWI Arrests in Austin Doubled the First Weekend Bars Reopened in May, New Data Shows
Despite Pandemic, Drunk Driving Numbers Still Up in North Texas
Pandemic Has Not Stopped DWI Epidemic
Upcoming National Judicial College Webinar: Access to Justice in Impaired Driving Cases – Costs of Pre-Trial Conditions
The National Judicial College (NJC) will be presenting the following webinar in August:
Title: Access to Justice in Impaired Driving Cases – Costs of Pre-Trial Conditions
Date & Time: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 at 11 a.m. CDT
Course Description: This NJC webcast, funded by NHTSA, will focus on the delicate balancing act of imposing pre-trial conditions on impaired drivers in traffic courts and the obstacles they often face in complying. This course will explore innovative and creative approaches to these cases while in the pre-trial stage and ways to avoid often crippling legal financial obligations and cost prohibitive conditions before final adjudication. This course will also address some of the practical challenges presented in imposing some conditions.
If you are interested in attending the webinar, you can register here.
Research Being Done on Tests to Detect Marijuana-Impaired Driving
Impaired Driving is not only caused by alcohol, but by any substance use that results in impairment. But effectively testing for impairment caused by substances other than alcohol can be difficult. Click on the link below to read an article about marijuana-impaired driving and the research that is currently being done to develop an effective test for it.
This Cannabis Saliva Test Could One Day Be Used To Detect Impaired Driving
TJCTC’s DWI Bond Condition Program
TJCTC’s DWI Bond Condition Program is a part of a statewide effort to reduce the incidence of DWI offenses in Texas counties in adopting a comprehensive plan for setting, monitoring, and enforcing bond conditions in DWI cases. The program is free for counties and promotes the use of bond conditions (such as ignition interlock devices) that reduce the incidence of DWI recidivism, increases consistency in setting bond conditions by a magistrate and a trial court, and ensures that bond conditions required by law are properly set, monitored, and enforced.
The program web page includes additional details, including a video about the program, and tells you how to contacts us if you would like more information or are interested in signing up. We have also recently updated the web page with a new map that shows all of the counties that are currently expressing interest or participating in the Program.
Please click here to visit the web page!
Article On the Prevalence and Dangers of Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol addiction and impaired driving often go hand in hand. Click the link below to read an article about the prevalence and dangers of alcohol misuse: