In 2024, TxDOT counted 1,053 deaths in Texas crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol, 25.37 percent of all traffic deaths that year. Harris County recorded 165 of those deaths and Fort Bend County, where Sugar Land is, recorded 9. The figures below carry their year, and Texas treats a DWI crash as both a crime and a basis for a civil claim.
The short version
- Statewide, 2024: 1,053 people died in crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol, out of 4,150 traffic deaths (TxDOT crash facts, calendar year 2024).
- Harris County, 2024: 3,357 DUI (alcohol) crashes, 149 of them fatal, with 165 deaths. Fort Bend County, 2024: 286 crashes, 7 fatal, 9 deaths.
- The timing is lopsided. TxDOT reports more alcohol-related crashes between 2:00 and 2:59 a.m., and on Sunday, than in any other hour or day.
- The law climbs in steps: DWI (Penal Code § 49.04), intoxication assault (§ 49.07, third-degree felony) and intoxication manslaughter (§ 49.08, second-degree felony).
- A bar or restaurant can be liable, but only on proof the customer was obviously intoxicated and a clear danger when served, and that the intoxication was a proximate cause of the damages (Alcoholic Beverage Code § 2.02(b)).
How does Texas define “intoxicated” for a DWI?
Two ways. Penal Code § 49.01(2) counts a person as intoxicated if alcohol, a drug or another substance has taken away the normal use of their mind or body, or if their alcohol concentration reaches 0.08. Meeting either test is enough.
The offense itself, in § 49.04(a), is being intoxicated “while operating a motor vehicle in a public place.” The 0.08 number is therefore not the only route to a charge, and a driver below it can still be intoxicated under the first definition if impairment can be shown. The chapter also says it is no defense that the person was entitled to use the substance (§ 49.10).
For someone hurt in a crash, the criminal definition is a starting point rather than the whole story. What matters in a civil claim is whether the other driver’s conduct was careless and whether it caused your injuries, a question we explain on our page for drunk driving victims. This article stays with the numbers and the statutes.
How many people die in Texas alcohol-related crashes?
TxDOT’s 2024 crash facts report 1,053 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes where a driver was under the influence of alcohol. That is 25.37 percent of everyone killed in Texas traffic crashes in 2024, when the total death toll was 4,150.
The summary adds that the 2:00 a.m. hour led all others for reported DUI (alcohol) crashes, and Sunday led all other days of the week (TxDOT Crash Facts, calendar year 2024, read 16 October 2026; the data are officers’ reports TxDOT had processed by 9 April 2025). TxDOT’s detailed county table lists 932 fatal DUI (alcohol) crashes, 1,584 suspected serious-injury crashes and 22,737 DUI (alcohol) crashes in all for Texas in 2024.
A fatality count describes lives lost, not everyone harmed. Most DUI (alcohol) crashes do not kill anyone (932 of the 22,737 in 2024 were fatal), and the people who are hurt can face months of treatment and lost work; this article on claimable damages shows how those losses are counted.
What do the 2024 figures show for Harris and Fort Bend County?
Harris County had 3,357 DUI (alcohol) crashes in 2024, including 149 fatal crashes that killed 165 people. Fort Bend County had 286 such crashes, 7 of them fatal, with 9 deaths. Both come from TxDOT’s county table for 2024.
| Measure (2024) | Texas | Harris County | Fort Bend County |
|---|---|---|---|
| All DUI (alcohol) crashes | 22,737 | 3,357 | 286 |
| Fatal crashes | 932 | 149 | 7 |
| Fatalities | 1,053 | 165 | 9 |
| Suspected serious-injury crashes | 1,584 | 161 | 18 |
| Suspected serious injuries | 2,245 | 235 | 27 |
| DUI (alcohol) driver fatalities | 698 | 118 | 6 |
Sources: TxDOT, DUI (Alcohol) Crashes and Injuries by County, 2024, and DUI (Alcohol) Driver Fatalities by County and Age, 2024, both read 16 October 2026.
For scale, another TxDOT table counts every traffic death regardless of cause, listing 579 for Harris and 41 for Fort Bend in 2024 (TxDOT fatal crash table by county, read 16 October 2026). Those totals include crashes with no alcohol involved. They are not a measure of how dangerous any one road is, and a separate article on risky Houston roads looks at location.
What have Houston police said about deadly DWI crashes?
In December 2024, ABC13 reported, citing Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, that there had been 33 deadly DWI crashes in Houston that year, close to the 39 of the year before. The chief encouraged people who choose to drink over the holidays to plan ahead for getting home safely.
The report, dated 27 December 2024, covers HPD’s announcement that it would work with seven other agencies on a New Year’s crackdown on impaired drivers, and it features a woman whose husband was killed in a 2021 crash on Highway 249 (ABC13, December 2024, read 16 October 2026). The figures are the chief’s year-to-date numbers at that moment, not a full-year count.
The chief pointed to rideshare as one alternative (“There are so many rideshare companies in our community”), and our article on rideshare accidents in Houston and our rideshare accident page cover what happens when the ride itself goes wrong. Holiday crash patterns are in a sister article on staying safe on the road during the holidays.
What criminal charges can a drunk driver face in Texas?
Driving while intoxicated is usually a Class B misdemeanor, but the Penal Code lifts it to a Class A misdemeanor or a felony in listed situations. A crash that seriously injures someone is intoxication assault, a third-degree felony, and one that kills is intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony.
| Offense | Grade under the Penal Code | Punishment range | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWI, general rule | Class B misdemeanor, minimum 72 hours of confinement | Fine up to $2,000, jail up to 180 days | § 49.04(b); § 12.22 |
| DWI where analysis of a blood, breath or urine specimen showed an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more | Class A misdemeanor | Fine up to $4,000, jail up to one year | § 49.04(d); § 12.21 |
| DWI with one prior conviction | Class A misdemeanor, minimum 30 days | Fine up to $4,000, jail up to one year | § 49.09(a) |
| DWI with a passenger under 15 | State jail felony | 180 days to 2 years, fine up to $10,000 | § 49.045; § 12.35 |
| Intoxication assault (serious bodily injury) | Third-degree felony (higher in situations § 49.09 lists) | 2 to 10 years, fine up to $10,000 | § 49.07(c); § 12.34 |
| Intoxication manslaughter (death) | Second-degree felony (higher in situations § 49.09 lists) | 2 to 20 years, fine up to $10,000 | § 49.08(b); § 12.33 |
Texas Penal Code chapter 49 and chapter 12, read 16 October 2026 on the Legislature’s official site.
Other enhancements exist: DWI in a school crossing zone during the time the reduced speed limit applies is a state jail felony (§ 49.04(e)), a third-degree felony applies after certain earlier convictions (§ 49.09(b)), and § 49.09(b-1) raises intoxication assault to a higher grade when the injured person is a firefighter, emergency medical worker, peace officer or judge on duty. Section 49.07 defines serious bodily injury as injury that “creates a substantial risk of death or that causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.” These are criminal-court questions decided by prosecutors and judges. The injured person’s civil claim is a separate matter, and whether it must wait for the criminal case is a question for an attorney.
Can you sue a drunk driver for causing a crash?
Yes. Alcoholic Beverage Code § 2.02(a) says the chapter does not affect anyone’s right to bring a common law cause of action against an individual whose consumption of alcohol allegedly caused the person’s injury or property damage. This article does not address how a civil claim and any criminal case against the driver interact.
The civil claim seeks money for the harm, such as medical bills, lost earnings and pain, from the driver and, where the facts support it, from others. Whether a criminal conviction helps, or is needed at all, is for an attorney to advise on; this article does not answer it. Insurance is a practical issue: when the driver has no coverage or too little, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may come into play, as our explainer on uninsured and underinsured motorist claims describes. Our car accident page covers the general claim process.
When the crash killed a family member, who may bring the claim is a separate question, answered in who can file after a fatal car accident, and on our fatal accident and wrongful death pages. Deadlines are strict; how long you have to file in Sugar Land explains the two-year rule.
When can a bar or restaurant be liable for a drunk driver’s crash?
When the provider served someone who was obviously intoxicated. Under Alcoholic Beverage Code § 2.02(b), the claimant must prove it was apparent to the provider that the person was “obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others,” and that the intoxication was a proximate cause of the damages.
A “provider” is a person who sells or serves alcohol under a license or permit, or who otherwise sells alcohol to an individual (§ 2.01(1)). The chapter is the exclusive cause of action for providing alcohol to a person 18 or older (§ 2.03(c)), and § 2.02(c) separately makes certain adults liable for the intoxication of a minor under 18 whom they knowingly served or allowed to be served. The statute was read in full on the Legislature’s site on 16 October 2026 (Alcoholic Beverage Code chapter 2).
The practical issues, such as receipts, security video and witnesses, belong on our dram shop page rather than here. Because a drinking-establishment claim can involve a company with its own insurance, it is worth reading what to know before talking to an insurance adjuster before giving any statement.
Where is a DWI case from Sugar Land heard?
A basic first DWI is graded Class B, while the City of Sugar Land says its municipal court handles Class C misdemeanors. One Sugar Land DWI case reported by Fort Bend County in 2018 was heard in County Court at Law No. 4, a county court.
The city’s municipal court, at 1200 Highway 6 South, says it hears Class C misdemeanors committed inside Sugar Land and names traffic violations among them (City of Sugar Land Municipal Court, read 16 October 2026). By contrast, the Fort Bend County government’s news page on a 2018 case reports that County Court at Law No. 4 sentenced a defendant after a jury convicted him of DWI; the arrest followed a 2014 wreck on the median at Highway 59 and Dairy Ashford Road in Sugar Land, and the county notes that case was a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 (Fort Bend County, 8 October 2018 post, read 16 October 2026).
The 2024 Fort Bend County row above (286 crashes, 9 deaths) is the county that contains Sugar Land. The firm’s Houston office serves clients there, and its work there is described on the car accident and personal injury pages for the area. If you were hit by a driver who was on a phone rather than drinking, see the texting ban in Texas.
What should you do if you suspect the other driver was drunk?
Call 911, get medical care, and tell the officer what you observed, such as slurred speech, the smell of alcohol or open containers. Keep the report number, note names of witnesses, and speak with an attorney before giving a recorded statement to an insurer.
A crash that injures someone brings an officer’s written report to TxDOT, and this guide to ordering the crash report shows how to request it. Independent witnesses matter in these cases (why witnesses are important), and the checklist for after an accident covers the first hours. Cyclists, walkers and riders have their own pages: see the pages on pedestrian and motorcycle accidents.
If the drunk driver fled, the hit and run page applies, and the insurer’s side of the file is covered in whether an insurance claim needs a lawyer. How legal fees are structured is covered in what a Houston accident lawyer costs, and the personal injury page lists the other claim types; questions about a particular crash can go through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DWI a felony in Texas?
A basic first DWI is a Class B misdemeanor under Penal Code § 49.04(b). It becomes a felony in listed situations, including a passenger under 15 (§ 49.045), a school crossing zone (§ 49.04(e)), certain earlier convictions (§ 49.09(b)), intoxication assault (§ 49.07) and intoxication manslaughter (§ 49.08).
Is a first DWI a felony in Texas?
Generally not. Section 49.04(b) makes a standard first offense a Class B misdemeanor carrying a 72-hour minimum, though a 0.15 or higher alcohol concentration makes it a Class A misdemeanor and a child under 15 in the vehicle makes it a state jail felony.
Is jail time mandatory for a first DWI in Texas?
Section 49.04(b) sets a minimum term of confinement of 72 hours for a Class B DWI, and six days if an open container was in the driver’s immediate possession under § 49.04(c). Applying that minimum to a real case is work for a criminal defense lawyer.
What is a DWI in Texas?
Driving while intoxicated means operating a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated (Penal Code § 49.04(a)). Section 49.01(2) defines intoxicated as lacking normal use of mental or physical faculties because of a substance, or an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08.
What is a dram shop?
The phrase is used for a business that sells or serves alcohol. Under Alcoholic Beverage Code chapter 2, a provider of alcohol can face a civil claim for the damage caused by a person it served, but only on the proof that § 2.02(b) requires.
Who can be sued in a dram shop case?
The defendant is a “provider,” defined in § 2.01 as a person who sells or serves alcohol under a license or permit, or who otherwise sells alcohol to an individual. Section 2.02(c) also reaches certain adults who knowingly serve or allow service of alcohol to a minor under 18.
What is dram shop liability?
It is a statutory civil liability, not a criminal charge. To succeed, a claimant must prove that it was apparent to the provider the person was obviously intoxicated to the extent of presenting a clear danger, and that the intoxication proximately caused the damages.
About the authors
Sam A. Maida, Jr.
Owner and Managing Attorney
Sam A. Maida, Jr. has represented injured Texans in the greater Houston area since the firm opened in 1993.
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Bernard G. Johnson III
Litigation Managing Attorney
Bernard G. Johnson III is a board certified trial lawyer licensed in Texas since 1996 and a graduate of South Texas College of Law.