San Antonio Police report sharp decline in drunk driving arrests during Fiesta 2022

Despite Fiesta being back in full swing this year after a COVID-forced hiatus, drunk driving arrests declined during the latest iteration of San Antonio’s citywide party.

The San Antonio Police Department only made 129 DWI arrests between March 31 and April 10, according to the Express-News. That’s a nearly 43% decrease from the 227 arrests in 2019, the last year the city had a full slate of Fiesta activities.

Last year, SAPD made 169 DWI-related arrests during Fiesta’s scaled-down activities, the daily reports, and In 2018, officers made 204.

Although not all the DWIs are directly related to Fiesta festivities, this year’s decline suggests a decline in the number of revelers getting behind the wheel after downing too many beers. The drop over time also coincides with a rise in popularity of ride-sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft.

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This article appears in Apr 6-19, 2022.