As of September 1, 2015, Texas laws regarding drinking and driving got even tougher. Ignition interlock devices will now be required for all offenders with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher if they wish to continue driving after they have been arrested for DWI. The devices prevent people from driving if they have consumed any alcohol, because the driver must breathe into the device before attempting to start their vehicle. The old DWI law gave arrested offenders the option of applying for a restricted driver’s license following their arrest. The new law gives drivers who are arrested for DWI the choice of either applying for an ignition interlock within fifteen days of their arrest or giving up their driving privileges altogether. The length of time that a driver must use an ignition interlock for depends upon whether it is their first offense, in which case they must use it for ninety days, or a subsequent offense, which will require one hundred and eighty days of use.

The new law is a significant departure from previous rules which only required repeat offenders and individuals with blood alcohol levels of .15 or greater to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles. The new drunk driving law, with its harsher penalty, raises the stakes for drivers who are accused of driving under the influence of alcohol. If you are arrested and charged with DWI, it is essential that you contact a Texas criminal defense attorney. Your attorney can examine your case from every possible angle, so that you have the greatest possible chance of avoiding a conviction and the intrusive ignition interlock requirement.

While it is true that license suspensions are hard to enforce and ignition interlocks do enable individuals to continue driving as long as they refrain from drinking alcohol, it is important that these devices be reserved for drivers who actually need them. The new law, with its requirement that all offenders, even first-time offenders, obtain an ignition interlock creates a risk that drivers who are wrongfully convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol will be required to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Comprehensive Legal Support When You Need it Most

Now that ignition interlock devices are required for all drivers who are arrested for DWI, drivers have even more at stake following a DWI arrest then they did previously. In addition to fines, jail time, and other far-reaching consequences, a driver who is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol could be required to install an ignition interlock device on his or her vehicle. This means that now, more than ever, it is absolutely essential that any driver who is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol contact an experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney right away. If you have been arrested for DWI, call Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or contact us online.