DWI Data Tracking System Feasibility: Integrating Impaired Driving Data among Shared Stakeholders
Status: Archived (FY 2017)
There is currently no singular way to track a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) defendant from arrest through the point of disposition, which causes large gaps in the judicial process especially when it comes to prosecution and probation. This issue is exacerbated when defendants might also have prior charges and convictions that are outside the county they were arrested in.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) facilitated a technical assessment for the State of Texas’ Impaired Driving Program in 2015. One of the priority recommendations that came out of the assessment was the need to study the feasibility of implementing a DWI Tracking System. Under a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sponsored project, CADES undertook a study to understand the complexity of what Texas is currently doing, what other states are doing, where the biggest gaps are, and what steps or actions can be taken to guide state officials to move towards a comprehensive DWI Tracking System.
Final Report Texas Traffic Linkage Feasibility Study
Texas Ignition Interlock Training, Summit, Outreach & Evaluation
Status: Active (FY 2019)
Sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), CADES will continue to provide training about ignition interlock devices to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, members of the judiciary, and probation officers.
In conjunction with the Texas Justice Court Training Center, CADES hosts the annual Impaired Driving and Ignition Interlock Summit. This summit features sessions on:
- Impaired driving trends
- Texas ignition interlock laws
- Ignition interlock bond program
- Practical considerations of ignition interlock devices and programs
- Ignition interlock monitoring and reporting, and
- Innovative bond monitoring
In addition, CADES conducts community outreach to educate the public about ignition interlock devices. During this outreach, CADES will be conducting a survey to determine general knowledge and attitudes towards ignition interlock devices among the public. CADES will also undertake an evaluation of ignition interlock devices in Texas and their impact on recidivism. The study will examine ignition interlock penetration as well as effects on offender behavior.
Blood Alcohol Concentration in Texas: Improving Medical Examiner and County Performance
Status: Active (FY 2019)
In Texas, Medical Examiners and Justices of the Peace are required by statute to blood alcohol concentration (BAC) toxicology results to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Records Section (TxDOT – CRS). However, occasionally BAC toxicology reporting is not performed as required. Failing to report BAC toxicology results can adversely impact the amount of federal funding that is available to the State of Texas for alcohol and drug traffic safety programs. This project works to improve the reporting rates among Medical Examiners and Justices of the Peace through outreach and education events. As a part of this project, CADES performs an analysis of the impaired driving fatal crashes in the state to identify barriers to reporting BAC toxicology results. In addition, the CADES team solicits feedback from Medical Examiners and Justices of the Peace to identify ways to improve the BAC toxicology reporting process in Texas.
Marijuana and Driving: A Look at Texan’s Attitudes and Impact on Driving Under the Influence
Status: Archived (FY 2017)
This project investigated the impact legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes has on traffic safety and crashes. In addition, this project sought to understand Texan’s opinions on marijuana, marijuana impaired driving, as well as the legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes in Texas. Based on the information obtained during the course of this project, a series of fact sheets and an outreach video were created to educate stakeholders and the general public about current marijuana policies and the effects of marijuana on the body and driving task.
Marijuana and Traffic Safety – Texan’s Attitudes and Policy Toolkit
Status: Archived (FY 2019)
As a continuation of the previous work done in the Marijuana and Driving: A Look at Texan’s Attitudes and Impact on Driving Under the Influence project in FY 2018, the CADES team will create three issue-guides on the various stages of marijuana legalization, which include decriminalization, medical marijuana and legalization for recreational use. The issue-guides will detail all relevant information related to the various types of marijuana legalization and its relationship to traffic safety. In addition, this project will repeat the survey to better understand Texans’ opinions on marijuana, marijuana impaired driving, as well as the legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes and how they are changing over time.
Texas Traffic Records Coordinating Committee Technical Assistance
Status: Active (FY 2019)
CADES will provide assistance to the Texas Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (TRCC). Technical assistance will include helping plan and conduct quarterly meetings and providing technical assistance to TRCC members. In FY19, planned technical assistance includes establishing performance measures for all TRCC agencies based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) guidelines regarding traffic records and creating a combined inventory of all traffic records databases in Texas.
Texas Impaired Driving Judicial Bench Book and Drug Impaired Driving Judicial Newsletter
Status: Archived (FY 2019)
Texas impaired driving statutes are dispersed throughout 5 different sections of the Texas statutes. The purpose of this project is to create an impaired driving Benchbook for Texas judges which will topically organize those statutes for easier reference and add additional research materials and reference guides on each topic. In addition, we will research articles related to the topic of drug impaired driving and produce and distribute a quarterly newsletter on that topic to Texas judges and prosecutors.
View the Texas Impaired Driving Bench Book (September 2019)
Texas Impaired Driving Task Force and Technical Assistance
Status: Active (FY 2019)
Through funding and support from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), CADES facilitates the statewide Texas Impaired Driving Task Force. The Texas Impaired Driving Task Force brings together experts from nearly every facet of the impaired driving challenge, including advocacy/prevention, enforcement, prosecution, toxicology, judiciary, probation, media, data and evaluation, and research. The Texas Impaired Driving Task Force comes together to identify gaps and solutions in the impaired driving challenge, share resources, and collaborate to reduce duplication of effort. As part of the grant, TxDOT and CADES hosts an annual Texas Impaired Driving Forum. For more information about the Forum, click here.
View the Impaired Driving Task Force Website.