Central Texas law enforcement prepares for New Year's Eve patrols

TEXAS - New Year's Eve is Tuesday night, and lots of people will be heading to bars or parties to ring in 2025. But, be warned, police departments across Central Texas are stepping up patrols, looking for impaired drivers. 

"Expect to see an increased number of police officers out on the roadways," said Kyle Assistant Police Chief Pedro Hernandez. 

Outside the Kyle Police Department, the patrol cars are ready to go. 

"We are putting additional units out [Tuesday] evening that are going to focus on responding to reports of possibly intoxicated drivers," said Hernandez.

Meanwhile, Manor police posted on Facebook noting they'll essentially be doubling up enforcement for New Year's Eve. 

"We'll be bringing in those day shift officers who are also trained in DWI enforcement to work on the night shifts as well," said Patrol Lt. Lawrence Rideau with the Manor Police Department. 

They'll have their eyes peeled for any sign of impairment. 

"If you're driving too slow, you're weaving, you're straddling the line, you're speeding, running through stoplights," said Rideau. 

"Our agency responds to a lot of reckless driver calls that end up being DWI investigations," said Hernandez.

Advocates say those patrols will likely save lives. 

"When they're pulling someone over for a suspected DWI, that's potentially taking a thousand-pound bullet driving down our roadways, off our roadway," said Natalie Paulus, Texas Regional Director of Victim Services for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, DWI-related arrests, crashes and, sadly, deaths tend to spike this time of year. 

"We've seen an increase just about every year for impaired driving crashes relating to serious injuries and death," said Paulus. "Travis County is one of the counties that carry those higher crash numbers."

In fact, when Manor police looked into last month's DWI arrests, they encountered a concerning statistic. 

"The average BAC was 0.154. So, that's nearly double that limit," said Rideau. 

"Somebody can be severely injured or killed in a DWI crash. And the offenses range anywhere from a misdemeanor up to a felony," said Hernandez. 

Getting a DWI can also cost you big time, anywhere from $5,000 to $24,000, according to TxDOT. That can include fines, attorney fees, higher insurance premiums, towing fees, alcohol education classes and more. 

"We're going to make that arrest. And then the state of Texas is going to hit your pocketbook," said Rideau. 

But local police hope people will make the right choice this New Year's Eve, so they don't see those blue flashing lights. 

"To assign a designated driver, to take advantage of the rideshare programs that are out there, Uber and Lyft. And just to have a safe, responsible holiday season," said Hernandez. 

Many cities, like Austin and Manor, have "no refusal" policies, meaning if you refuse a blood or breath test when you get pulled over, an officer will request a warrant for a blood sample.