Americans will celebrate some of the more joyful and festive times of the year. Unfortunately, for many of them, the activities will be married by DUI arrests that are unexpected.
The celebrations can’t always be completely separate from alcohol use, and many people do mix drinking alcohol with the festivities. They may not realize that when they drive home, they can be pulled over by officers who are trying to garner as many DUI arrests as possible during this time of the year. Our Denver DUI law firm knows the risks of being arrested for DUI peak over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The New Year’s Eve holiday season sees some of the highest rates of DUI arrests, not just in Denver but also across the country.
Law enforcement officers will be out in larger numbers during the holiday season, and Denver criminal defense attorneys warn motorists to be extra cautious about driving home after having alcohol. To prevent a DUI arrest, do not get behind the wheel of the car after drinking alcohol. Many people are unable to avoid alcohol during the holiday festivities, and don’t even realize that they could register as legally intoxicated. It’s not always possible for people to determine how much alcohol they have in their system, especially not over the holidays when eating habits change so dramatically. Get a friend who is sober to drive you home, or call a cab. If you can, make arrangements to stay over at the venue of the party.
If you are an employer who is hosting an office holiday party, you must monitor the alcohol consumption of your employees, especially if they are driving home after a party. If one of your employees is out driving under the influence of alcohol, and causes an accident, you could be liable as an employer for any damages arising out of the accident.
Maintain your car in good condition. Broken tail lights, broken headlamps or other defects in your car give police officers the chance to pull you over, and question you. If you are driving under the influence of alcohol at this time, an officer can administer an alcohol test.
Make sure that your driving license is valid, and has not expired. Your food intake can affect the metabolism of alcohol in your body. If you are drinking alcohol, eat a full meal.
Avoid breaking any traffic laws, while you’re driving home after having had a few drinks. That gives police officers an excuse to follow your car, and possibly pull you over. That means no running traffic lights- which you shouldn’t be doing at any other time either – and staying in your lane.
Make sure that you have important documentation, including a driver’s license, and other paperwork handy if you’re pulled over by a police officer who demands to see papers. Social networks like Twitter can provide information about sobriety checkpoints in your area. Monitor those alerts to find out whether there are sobriety checkpoints on your route. If you are arrested for DUI, speak with a Denver domestic violence attorney immediately.
