During the holiday season, be sure to drink responsibly and do not drive while impaired by alcohol. If you are charged with a DUI, call a DUI attorney for assistance. Across the United States, the holiday season is when more vehicular accidents occur than any other time of the year. More people are on the road, traveling to visit family and friends, and going to parties where they celebrate with alcoholic beverages. You need to know how to avoid a DUI. If you are pulled over, contact a DUI attorney in Kentucky as soon as possible.
DUI Holiday StatisticsEvery year in the U.S., approximately 119,000 people die in accidents involving an alcohol-impaired driver. More than 2,000 of those deaths are in Kentucky. In an attempt to decrease injuries and deaths caused by drunk driving accidents–in Kentucky as well as in other states–more law enforcement officers will be patrolling and more DUI checkpoints will be set up.Historically, the holiday season starts the day before Thanksgiving and ends on January 2. During these few weeks, 33% more DUI citations are issued than any other time of the year. On New Year’s Eve, 155% more DUI citations are issued. The best way to protect yourself is to learn how to avoid a DUI arrest and the subsequent charges.Tips on How to Avoid a DUIThe number one way to avoid a DUI is not to drink and drive. Other DUI avoidance tips include:
- When traveling to an event where you know alcohol will be served, go with a designated driver who commits to not drinking at all.
- If you expect to drive, learn how to calculate how many drinks you can have per hour without becoming intoxicated, based on your body weight, and stick to that number.
- Supplement your drinking with eating.
- Alternate each alcoholic beverage you drink with a nonalcoholic one.
- Drinking black coffee to sober up is a myth. Do not plan to drink coffee as a way to counteract the effects of drinking before driving.
- Use Kentucky’s free Drive Sober App. The app was created by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety as part of the State’s “Drive sober or be pulled over” campaign. Push the button on your smartphone to find a safe ride home.
- If you are stopped at a checkpoint, or by an officer who suspects you are driving under the influence, be polite. However, remember you are not legally required to answer questions like, “Have you been drinking tonight?” or “How much did you have to drink?” You may think if you say, “Only a glass of wine with dinner,” the officer will let you leave. What you have done is just admit that you were drinking before you got behind the wheel.
- You have certain legal rights if you are arrested under suspicion of a DUI. For example, you have the right to 15 minutes to call an attorney before submitting to any blood alcohol content (BAC) test.
It is important that you do not speak to anyone about your case, including law enforcement, friends and family members, without your DUI attorney present.If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI, contact Edwards & Kautz Law Firm Law firm at 270-908-4914 for a free consultation with an experienced DUI attorney in Kentucky. We serve almost all of Western Kentucky.