The heat descends on Houston in spring and lingers long into the fall months. It’s enough to make tempers flare and bad decisions seem like good ideas.
This uptick in crimes during the summer months is supported by data released by the National Crime Victimization Survey, indicating as much as a 12% uptick in criminal offenses in summer.
Summer is a time of heightened crime
It’s more than just the heat and oppressive humidity (although those factors can’t help much). Consider all the official outdoor activities southeast Texas hosts during the summer months. Most of these feature alcohol sales, increasing the likelihood that drinking and driving arrests will occur as people try to make it home after being overserved at these events.
Traffic rises due to vacations
There is more traffic on the highways and roads as families and recent graduates all head to the beaches, parks and lakes for a little R&R. The increased vehicular traffic ups the odds for getting into an accident.
Even if the wreck was caused by another motorist, if you had been drinking with friends or at a venue, you can still face a drunk driving charge and the officer called to the scene suspects you are intoxicated.
Law enforcement is out in droves
Police recognize the correlation between the summer months and the need for more DWI patrols. Even though Texas prohibits sobriety checkpoints, police rely on special federal and state grants designed to reduce incidents of driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs.
Don’t become a crime statistic. Be proactive about safety, and — if you face arrest — clearly invoke your right to remain silent until you have had the opportunity to build your defense to the DWI charge.
