A lack of consequences, coupled with Texans' near-religious connection to their cars and trucks, leads to an ingrained culture of drinking and driving that doesn't carry the same stigma it does in other states.
"The citizens of Harris County aren't scared to get arrested for a DWI," said Harris County Sheriff's Sgt. Kirby Burton, who oversees the department's DWI task force.
Drivers in Houston and local officials acknowledge more must be done. Many believe traffic laws take a back seat to other priorities.
"People here just drink and drive," said Ron Micklewaite, 77, a lifelong Houstonian and cab driver, who often carts revelers from bar to bar. "Every weekend I'm out I see someone sliding all over the road."
Mike Davis, a trainer at the Alamo Area Regional Law Enforcement Academy in San Antonio, has a similar observation from a statewide perspective.
"We are big, and we drive everywhere," he said. "But we like to drink."