Harris County 'no refusal weekend': Agencies cracking down on impaired driving over Memorial Day
HOUSTON - This Memorial Day weekend, local law enforcement will be cracking down on impaired driving in what's called a "no refusal weekend".
That means any driver suspected of being impaired will face field sobriety tests, and a judge will be available to issue warrants for blood draws. Prosecutors from the Harris County district attorney's office will also be on-site to file charges.
Harris County has one of the highest rates of DWI crashes in the country. District Attorney Kim Ogg says there have already been 24 intoxication manslaughter cases so far this year. Last year, there were 44.
But this weekend isn't exclusive in terms of cracking down on the crime. Houston Acting Police Chief Larry Satterwhite tells us that since October, they've made 2,200 DWI arrests, partnering with 14 other agencies.
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"We're telling you, that if you're going to go on the road driving aggressively, you're going to go on the road impaired, we're going to stop you," Satterwhite said. "We're going to hold you accountable because that's the only way we know to protect you, protect the other people on the roadway."
AAA estimates there will be a total of 44 million travelers across the country. The vast majority, more than 38 million, will be road tripping.