Don't Celebrate with a DUI

My favorite holiday is St. Patrick's Day, but after reading the following report, I hope you'll be taking a Lyft or Uber to the festivities. Let's have zero drunk driving arrests next week!



Over the holidays, drinking and driving becomes a serious issue. Distracted by holiday festivities, many people are less vigilant about staying sober when they know they’ll be driving, or refusing to drive at all when they’ve imbibed alcoholic drinks. They are also not as diligent about having designated drivers.

Thanks to DUI statistics over the years, cops can now predict which holidays have an increased risk for drunk driving, which means they are hyper vigilant during these times. While many ordinary citizens may have a casual attitude about drinking and driving over the holidays, it’s important to remember that police officers never take drunk driving offenses lightly. Because of this, DUIs skyrocket over these holidays.

St. Patrick’s Day

Due to the nature of this holiday, no would be surprised that DUIs increase during this time. Be aware that police set up DUI checkpoints to catch drunk drivers, and if you’re not careful, you might find yourself calling a DUI lawyer on St. Patrick’s Day.

Fortunately, many organizations such as the AAA and even local cab companies set up driver services for free to help keep people safe and avoid getting DUIs, so be sure to look into this option if you’re planning to celebrate this day.

Fourth of July

Fireworks, reunions, cookouts, friends and family— for many people, alcohol rounds out a good Fourth of July. Since it’s summer, people are more relaxed especially if it’s a weekend, leading many to believe that it’s okay to drive home after getting one drink too many.

Thanksgiving

Thousands of people get arrested for DUIs over Thanksgiving. With so much tasty food and overflowing wine and other alcoholic beverages on the table, it’s easy to forget one’s responsibility and continue the merrymaking on the road.

New Year’s Eve

Finally, this is perhaps one of the worst holidays when it comes to DUIs. Everyone is letting loose and celebrating, popping bottles of champagne and wine to welcome the coming year. As a result, people get arrested for DUIs left and right, getting into huge problems on the first day of the year.

Of course, the best way to avoid a DUI on these holidays is to avoid drinking at all, but for many, that’s not possible. Consider taking a taxi or riding with a sober driver to avoid California’s penalties for drunk drivers such as four years of license suspension, a year of jail time, and even a steep $5, 000 fine.