4 points for the 4th of July
This year the Fourth of July falls on a Saturday. The legal holiday is Friday so we all have a three day weekend. Enjoy your mid-summer mini-vacation. However, the very worst way you want to celebrate the Fourth of July is in jail because you have been arrested for a DUI.
Did you know that?
1. Increased DUI Checkpoints.
Every year, in our areas law enforcement set up more DUI checkpoints on this holiday. These checkpoints are legal, and everyone is stopped regardless of reasonable suspicion.
2. Night Time is The Worst Time.
Most summer holiday parties end at sun down. However, this is not the case on the Fourth of July.
According to NHTSA, drivers involved in fatal crashes on July 4, 2012, had rates of impairment 2.5 times higher at night than during the day. In Pennsylvania the minimum blood alcohol level is .08 percent. Also, remember that driving with illegal substances, including prescription medications may result in a DUI arrest.
3. DUI arrests nationwide significantly increase over the Fourth of July holiday.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 10,322 fatalities involving drunken driving in all of 2012. Surprisingly, from 2008 to 2012, 765 people died in Fourth of July drunken-driving crashes, accounting for about 40 percent of traffic fatalities during the five-year period.
4. You May Spend Some Extra Time in a Holding Cell.
A three day weekend is a welcomed respite for most of us. However, if you are arrest for DUI is could mean an extended weekend in jail. The legal holiday means that the court system is also not working or at less than full staff. If you are arrested at the beginning of three three-day Fourth of July weekend, you may not see a judge until Monday or Tuesday.
Enjoy your weekend. However, keep these facts in mind when you are behind the wheel or thinking of getting behind the wheel this Fourth of July.
If you are arrested, remember to call Fiore & Barber, LLC, your DUI team at 215.256.0205.
