School might be out for spring break, but Denton’s college bars stay busy. So, the University of North Texas Police Department’s assistant chief said officers won’t be taking a vacation from DWI enforcement.
Young adult drivers made up over half of all alcohol-related crashes around the spring break holiday in Texas in 2023, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Among those crashes, nine intoxicated drivers died.
Drunken driving has been just as prevalent in Denton. Historically, Assistant Chief Jeremy Polk said, the UNT Police Department, and Denton County as a whole, has had some of the highest numbers of intoxicated drivers and DWI arrests in the state.
“I think no one would argue that a DWI arrest could be saving someone or some family’s life,” Polk said. “As these people leave the bars, a party, a home or anywhere and hit the roads, they put everybody else and themselves in danger.”
What makes driving while intoxicated even more dangerous is high speeds.
With Fry Street’s proximity to Interstate 35, Polk said it’s a fair assumption that plenty of bar goers aren’t just driving down the block to get home.
“They might be driving for an hour to get to wherever they come from, and that’s a really dangerous proposition, especially at highway speeds,” Polk said. “You can have a little crash in our parking lot going 10 mph — and that happens, people don’t even make it out of the parking lot. But if you were to crash at 80 mph, it’s going to kill people, if not just the driver themselves but other people. It’s almost a guarantee.”
Nowadays, with the prevalence of rideshares, Polk said there are plenty of safer alternatives to drinking and driving.
Polk has a few tips for how to enjoy spring break responsibly:
- Have a plan beforehand.
- Stay with your friends.
- Stick to the plan.
- If you alter the plan, do it together and do it safely.
The most important advice Polk has is to have not just a designated driver but a designated decision-maker — the responsible friend who can be the voice of reason and veto bad ideas.
There have been numerous times, Polk said, when officers have asked passengers during a DWI investigation if their group ever discussed getting a rideshare instead and the answer was yes, they considered it
“It almost goes to show what alcohol does in impairing your decision-making,” Polk said. “Because you could make a reasonable, conscious decision to leave your car in a UNT parking lot. I’ll take a $25 parking ticket and pay for a $6 Uber over a $10,000 DWI arrest or losing your life.”
Another word of advice from Polk: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The assistant chief encourages people to call 911 or contact an officer if something feels suspicious or unsafe.
“There have been many times where I’ve had somebody call the police or use an emergency phone just to say ... ‘I’m drunk and I cannot get to my apartment safely,’” Polk said. “That is a perfect use of something like that. I go over there and I’ll give them a ride. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help, even from the police.”