You know all the reasons not to drive when you've been drinking.
There's the possibility of arrest, court costs and fines, losing your license.
You could get in an accident and injure yourself or others. You could even kill someone when behind the wheel impaired.
But still people drive drunk.
Well, a new Texas law that went into effect Friday adds something else to think about before having a few and driving.
Any motorist who is convicted of intoxication manslaughter in the death a parent or guardian of a minor child or children will be on the hook for child support -- possibly for years.
The law says support payments will continue until the child is 18 years old or graduates high school, whichever is later. Needless to say, the more dependent children, the more money will have to be paid.
If the offender goes to prison, payments are expected to begin within a year of release.
Will the new law help cut down on drunken driving? We hope so. But the truth is so many folks just don't believe they will get caught. The sobering reality, though, is getting arrested is the best of the possible bad outcomes from driving drunk. The others will leave you or someone else hurt -- or worse.