By:  LINDSEY O’NEILL, ESQ.

Between the Thanksgiving holiday and the end of the New Year’s weeknd, DUI arrests are at a high point.  As millions of Americans hit the roads for the holiday season, law enforcement implements a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving in an effort to help save lives and prevent injuries.

The enforcement crackdown typical includes increased use of sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols. 

As stated on the NHTSA website:

The blood alcohol concentration level of .08 is the illegal level in all 50 states and is the point at which the fatal crash risk increases significantly. At that point, all of the critical driving skills are affected: braking, steering, lane changing, judgment and response time. The risk of a driver dying in a crash at .08 BAC is at least 11 times that of drivers without alcohol in their system.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being arrested for a DUI this holiday season, remember that you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible.  In some states, you may be allowed to speak to an attorney even before you submit to a chemical test to measure your blood-to-alcohol limit. 

Because drunk driving laws are complex, you not you will be much better off with the advice and representation of an experienced drunk driving attorney – one who knows the enforcement  procedures, is well versed with the different sobriety tests and their varying accuracy levels, and understands how best to protect your rights.