It’s that time of year again. Spending time with friends and family. Giving gifts and being thankful for the things we already have. Eating, drinking, and being merry. It’s the last of these things that could get some people in trouble this holiday season because drinking and being merry often involves a holiday alcoholic concoction.
Southern California law enforcement has already launched the Avoid DUI Task Force to curb drunk driving this holiday season with increased patrols and an increase in DUI checkpoints. Counties participating in the Task Force now include Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino. The task force will operate through the New Year’s weekend.
“You will see officers conducting an increased number of traffic stops during this period,” Los Angeles Police Sargent Sean Karmody told Los Angeles Daily News. “If officers suspect anyone is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”
There are, of course, things we can do to avoid getting arrested for a California DUI.
1.) Get a designated driver. Just make sure that your designated driver is, in fact, staying sober. Often, designated drivers do drink. They just don’t drink as much as their passengers. This is not a designated driver. Not only are they putting their passengers’ lives in danger, they are at risk of getting arrested for DUI.
2.) Use public transportation. Cabs and busses are no longer the only options. Transportation companies like Uber, Sidecar, and Lyft provide holiday partygoers with the option of taking a ride privately owned, often luxury, vehicle.
3.) Plan to stay the night. Whether at a hotel within walking distance or at the host’s house, staying the night to avoid driving home can help prevent a DUI. Remember, though, that it is possible to still be drunk the following morning depending on how much alcohol was consumed, what time the person went to bed, and what time the person drove home.
4.) Don’t drink. While it may be the least attractive option, it is the only surefire way to avoid a California DUI.
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