Enjoy those margaritas senioritas… but please appoint a designated driver!  Avoid not only the tragedies that result from drinking and driving, but also the DUI checkpoints.  Police will be hosting random DUI checkpoints throughout the nation to catch and deter intoxicated drivers. 

On Cinco de Mayo, a lot of us who normally do not drink tequila, drink tequila.  That can result in some surprisingly easy intoxication!  If you do not have a sober driver in the group, take a cab.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a bit of a fiesta on this holiday – just do so safely.   Cinco de Mayo is a supposed to be a fun and enjoyable celebration, but it can be  dangerous if you mix drinking and driving.   Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that almost HALF of all fatalities each year on Cinco de Mayo are caused by alcohol-impaired drivers. 

At a chekpoint, the officer will look for various indicators in an attempt to detect drunk drivers.  Officers may engage certain drivers in conversation, ask questions about whether they had been drinking, etc.   The officer will not only be listening to the answers, but will be looking for clues of recent alcohol use – for example a flushed face, red eyes, slurred speech, odor of alcohol, or alcoholic containers or beverages in the vehicle.  If the officer suspects the driver has been drinking, the officer will typically request the driver to step out of the vehicle and perform a series of field sobriety tests.  If the driver fails, he or she may be arrested on suspicion of DUI or DWI.  At this point, the officer will request a BAC sample – most typically a breath sample but blood or urine samples could also be requested.  All States have some form of an implied consent law, which provides that as part of accepting the agreement for receiving a license, a driver agrees to provide a breath, blood, or urine sample when properly requested.

Avoid all of this – and just don’t drink and drive.  Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!!