With just hours leading up to this weekend’s Chilifest festivities in neighboring Snook, Texas, law enforcement and A&M campus organizations are preparing to combat an influx of impaired driving by forming a DWI task force.
The task force is a partnership among police departments in the surrounding area as well as local hospitals and magistrates. 
Lt. Steve Brock with the College Station Police Department said while drunk driving is something the department always looks out for, officers will be on high alert because of the festival’s nature. 
“CSPD will have officers dedicated to traffic enforcement, specifically impaired and intoxicated drivers,” Brock said. “Since College Station has [Texas A&M] within its city limits, our officers are always mindful of impaired drivers. In the past, there was a conscious effort to focus on DWI enforcement and prevention during special event weekends.”
The annual Chilifest weekend DWI rate has seen improvement over the years due to law enforcement efforts to educate the public on the consequences, Brock said. 
CARPOOL, an A&M student organization that offers free rides home to students,  will offer extended weekend hours for Chilifest. Saturday’s operations will start at 4 p.m. rather than the usual 10 p.m. start time.
“Chilifest buses drop off at Post Oak Mall where we will be picking up people,” said Keely Middleton, management senior and external co-chair of CARPOOL. “Chilifest is definitely one of our busiest weekends, if not the busiest of the year. Since we start operations earlier on Saturday, we usually give a record number of rides this weekend.”
Brock said CSPD encourages Chilifest attendees to plan their transportation in advance. 
“We encourage those attending Chilifest to take advantage of the shuttle service that is operating out of the Post Oak Mall. CARPOOL and local taxi companies will be staged at the Post Oak Mall as well to help those getting dropped off to get home safely without driving,” Brock said. “If attendees don’t use this service, at the very least designate a driver — which means a person that doesn’t drink at all during the event. Drink responsibly and remember, DWI is not an accident, it is a choice. Make the decision not to drink and drive.”