According to the San Antonio Police Department, the Fiesta celebration for 2016 saw a hike in DWI arrests over 2015. SAPD officers made a total of 233 arrests for driving while intoxicated during the span of Fiesta’s 10 day affair. That was 11 more arrests than in 2015, which isn’t a dramatic hike in arrests but still discouraging. On a more positive note, 2016 marked the fourth consecutive year without fatalities tied to Fiesta.
We can keep San Antonio’s DWI numbers down with a simple promise to not drink and drive. To help, we’ve offered some alternatives to keep you from getting behind the wheel of a car.
1. Assign a designated driver of the group.
2. Call a relative or friend to pick you up.
3. Purchase a pass for public transportation.
4. Call a cab.
5. Utilize a rideshare service.
Also remember not to walk home or ride a bike if you’ve had too much to drink – public intoxication is still a crime. And yes, buzzed driving is still drunk driving.
The San Antonio Police Officers’ Association loves our city and Fiesta just as much as everyone else does. We’re going to celebrate responsibly and safely with our friends and families, and we hope you all do too. As we do so, let’s all do our part to reverse the trend and hopefully, 2017 will see a big reduction in Fiesta-related DWI’s.
We ask that you pledge to be safe during Fiesta and not drive by using #SafeFiesta in all your Fiesta-related photos and posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By using this hashtag, you’re promising that you will not get behind the wheel of a car even if you are buzzed. Be a responsible drinker and together we can bring down the DWI statistics in San Antonio.