Don’t let a drunk driving charge ruin your holidays
The colder weather and impending arrival of the holiday season bring with them many opportunities. You will have the chance to exchange gifts with coworkers, friends and family. There will likely be many parties you can attend as well.
Most families get together around the holidays, and many companies throw holiday parties for their staff. Even your personal social circle may have a party.
Unfortunately, a side effect of all that socialization is an increased risk for alcohol and temptation to drive after having a few drinks. This holiday season is a good time to engage in harm reduction practices by avoiding getting behind the wheel after holiday parties. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing serious driving under the influence (DUI) charges.
The holidays often bring increased enforcement
Every year, there is an increase in drunk driving crashes and deaths around the winter holiday season. All of those people hitting the streets after parties or over-indulging to help them cope with the stress of family events create a significant amount of risk on the roads.
Law enforcement is aware of these trends, and they often target holiday weekends for increased enforcement efforts. These can include roadblocks, sobriety checkpoints and other attempts to crack down on impaired driving in New York.
Law enforcement is watching carefully for impaired drivers during the holiday season. There may be more officers on the road than usual, and they will watch for signs of impaired driving. Issues such as swerving, driving far too fast or slowly, erratic driving and even touching the center line with your tire could all result in a traffic stop that leads to DUI charges.
Getting behind the wheel after a few drinks is a big mistake that could end up costing you hundreds of dollars of in fines, time in jail and even the loss of your license. The good news is that there are many ways to avoid DUI charges. You can choose not to drink at parties. You can arrange to have a friend be a designated driver, or you can call a cab or use a rideshare app.
Consider defending yourself against DUI charges
The holidays are a stressful time to find yourself facing criminal charges. Many people mistakenly choose to plead guilty after a holiday season DUI arrest instead of exploring their options for a criminal defense.
There are many different ways in which you can defend yourself against pending criminal DUI charges. Your best option is to review the evidence that the state has against you and determine what defense strategies could work. Pleading guilty could be a mistake that has consequences for your life for many years to come.
Office Location
Neil S. Ruskin
188 Montague Street Suite 900
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Local: (718) 237-1547
Fax: 718-875-4011